Dietary n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increase T‐lymphocyte phospholipid mass and acyl‐CoA binding protein expression

AbstractDietary flaxseed oil, which is enriched in α‐linolenic acid, and fish oil, which is enriched inEPA and DHA, possess anti‐inflammatory properties when compared with safflower oil, which is enriched in linoleic acid. The influence of flaxseed oil and fish oil feeding on lipid metabolism in T‐lymphocytes is currently unknown. This study directly compared the effects of feeding safflower oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil for 8 wk on splenic T‐lymphocyte proliferation, phospholipid mass, and acyl‐CoA binding protein expression in the rat. The data show that both flaxseed oil and fish oil increased acyl‐CoA binding protein expression and phosphatidic acid mass in unstimulated T‐lymphocytes when compared with safflower oil feeding. Fish oil feeding increased cardiolipin mass, whereas flaxseed oil had no effect. After stimulation, flaxseed oil and fish oil blunted T‐lymphocyte interleukin‐2 production and subsequent proliferation, which was associated with the lack of incraased acyl‐CoA binding protein expression. The results reported show evidence for a novel mechanism by which dietary flaxseed oil and fish oil suppress T‐lymphocyte proliferation via changes in acyl‐CoA binding protein expression and phospholipid mass.