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Dietary (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids do not affect the in vivo development and function of Listeria-specific
Robert Irons1, Phileno Pinge-Filho, Kevin L Fritsche
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA.
Abstract:
We previously reported that in a mouse model, a diet high in (n-3) PUFA diminishes host survival following an infection from Listeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacterial pathogen. In this study we investigated the impact of (n-3) PUFA on the adaptive immune response to L. monocytogenes. BALB/c mice were fed experimental diets either devoid of or rich in (n-3) PUFA from fish oil for 4 wk and then infected with 10(6) actA-deficient L. monocytogenes. At 7 and 35 d postchallenge, effector and memory/effector T cells in the spleen were enumerated by flow cytometry. Surprisingly, the number of Listeria-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) effector and memory/effector T cells in the spleen was not affected by (n-3) PUFA. Also, the effector cells derived from mice fed either diet were equally capable of conferring protective immunity upon adoptive transfer to naive recipients. Despite our previous data, which demonstrated that (n-3) PUFA profoundly impaired host resistance to L. monocytogenes, pathogen-specific T cell responses were not substantially affected by dietary (n-3) PUFA.
Insights
Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) surprisingly did not impact T cell responses to Listeria monocytogenes infection in mice. This suggests other immune mechanisms, not T cell adaptive immunity, are responsible for reduced survival observed with high omega-3 PUFA diets.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
- Microbial Pathogenesis
Background:
- Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to diminish host survival during Listeria monocytogenes infection.
- The impact of omega-3 PUFA on the adaptive immune response to L. monocytogenes remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of omega-3 PUFA-rich diets on the adaptive immune response to L. monocytogenes infection.
- To determine if T cell responses are altered by dietary omega-3 PUFA levels.
Main Methods:
- BALB/c mice were fed diets devoid of or rich in omega-3 PUFA for 4 weeks.
- Mice were infected with L. monocytogenes, and T cell populations (CD4+ and CD8+) in the spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry at 7 and 35 days post-infection.
- Adoptive transfer experiments were conducted to assess the functional capacity of T cells.
Main Results:
- Dietary omega-3 PUFA did not significantly alter the number of Listeria-specific CD4+ and CD8+ effector and memory/effector T cells in the spleen.
- Effector T cells from mice on either diet conferred comparable protective immunity upon adoptive transfer.
- Pathogen-specific T cell responses were not substantially affected by dietary omega-3 PUFA, despite previous findings of impaired host resistance.
Conclusions:
- Dietary omega-3 PUFA does not significantly impair the adaptive T cell-mediated immune response to L. monocytogenes infection.
- The previously observed diminished host survival with high omega-3 PUFA diets may be mediated by mechanisms other than adaptive T cell immunity.
