The effect of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on tumor necrosis factor-alpha production and leucine aminopeptidase levels in rat peritoneal macrophages.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production and macrophage (MO) activation state. Rats were fed diets containing 12.5% linseed oil (LO) or corn oil (CO) that are high in n-3 and n-6 fatty acids respectively. The LO diet resulted in a significant increase in basal and endotoxin (LPS)-induced levels of TNF-alpha from resident MO cultured in vitro. There was no difference between the diets in LPS-induced TNF-alpha production by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) elicited macrophages. Variable responses were also observed between LO and CO MO in response to prostaglandin E2, indomethacin (INDO), and the prostaglandin E receptor antagonist SC-19220. This may indicate differences in signal transducing secondary messengers due to different activation states, receptor expression or ligand binding. Fluorescence due to leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) staining was determined by flow cytometry. Resident LO MO had a 15% increase in LAP fluorescence compared to CO MO. In CFA-elicited MO, the CO MO had a 43% increase in fluorescence compared to LO MO. Resident LO MO increased in LAP fluorescence by 35% to the activated state whereas resident CO MO increased in LAP fluorescence by 93%. The smaller window of activation for the LO MO may explain some of the antiinflammatory properties of dietary n-3 fatty acids.