Effects of gamma-linolenic acid and its positional isomer pinolenic acid on immune parameters of Brown-Norway rats

Male Brown-Norway rats given purified diets containing safflower oil (SFO, linoleic acid, 18:2 n-6), evening primrose oil (EPO, gamma-linolenic acid, 6,9,12- 18:3 n-6) or Korean pine seed oil (PSO, 5,9,12- 18:3) at the 13% level were immunized twice with intraperitoneal ovalbumin, on days 14 and 35 of the feeding diets, and killed one day after the second booster. The relative population of CD4(+) T-lymphocytes in the spleen was significantly lower in rats fed SFO than in those fed EPO or PSO, while that of CD8(+) subsets remained unchanged. There was a significant increase in the splenic production of IgG and IgE in the PSO group compared to the SFO group, while EPO significantly increased IgE. The periodical response patterns of the serum levels of IgG and IgE varied depending on the source of dietary fats, and the initial rise of total immunoglobulins tended to be higher in the EPO group. The release by peritoneal exudate cells of histamine was comparable among three groups irrespective of saturation by calcium ionophore A23187, while PSO significantly increased leukotriene B-4 production. These observations not only indicate specific roles of gamma-linolenic acid but also diverse influences of different octadecatrienoic acids in various immune measurements.