Immunomodulatory activity of type-4 resistant starch in the mesenteric lymph nodes of rats

We evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of type-4 resistant starch (RS) in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) using a rat model. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a cellulose diet or an RS diet (RSD) for 4 weeks. Serum immunoglobulin A levels, as well as the CD4(+) T cell population and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells in the MLNs of rats, were significantly elevated by replacing cellulose with RS in the diet. The survival rate of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated MLN lymphocytes and interleukin-4 secretion from the Con A-stimulated MLN lymphocytes were significantly increased in rats fed RSD. These results indicate that type-4 RS might ameliorate allergic inflammation in the MLNs of rats through an increased CD4(+) T cell population and enhanced differentiation of MLN lymphocytes into type-2 T cells.