Recent topics in anti-oxidative factors

Lipids and anti-oxidative factors regulate immune functions such as immunoglobulin production and chemical mediator release. For example, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) enhance IgE production of isolated rat lymphocytes, but not in the presence of alpha-tocopherol. In addition, anti-oxidative factors such as tea polyphenols and flavonoids exert inhibitory effect on chemical mediator release from rat peritoneal exudate cells (PEC). Some of these immunoregulatory activities of food components could be expressed in vivo. Oral administrations of perilla and fish oils or tea polyphenols led to a significant decrease of LTB4 releasing activity of rat PEC, but IgE production enhancing activity of PUFA was not expressed in vivo. On the other hand, alpha-tocopherol feeding enhanced serum IgA level as well as IgA productivity of mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes. These results suggest that dietary fats and antioxidants are effective for the alleviation of allergic symptom and activation of immune functions.