INTERACTION OF LIPIDS WITH IMMUNE FUNCTION-I - BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF DIETARY LIPIDS ON PLASMA-MEMBRANES

Lipids have especially potent and complex effects on the body's response to infection or stress. These effects are related to the diverse functions that lipids perform, especially as structural components and metabolic intermediates. In this article, the basic biochemical processes by which lipids modulate pathways occurring in plasma membranes will be reviewed. These processes include modulation of the biophysical properties of the phospholipid bilayer, production of lipid peroxides, metabolism of 20-carbon fatty acids to eicosanoid end-products, and the direct effects of fatty acids on signal transduction. In a subsequent article, the animal and human experimental data on the interactions of lipids with the immune system will be reviewed.