Effect of dietary fat on antibody response and on down-regulation

Diets differing in the ratios of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids (P/S) have dramatically different effects on the extent to which pretreatment with aggregate-freed form of a foreign protein augments or diminishes (by sensitization or down-regulation) the subsequent response to an immunogenic form of the same protein. We have examined this phenomenon in terms of both down-regulation (acquired immunological tolerance) and sensitization induced in 87-week-old female C57BL/6 mice. Antibody response in these mice, fed on low P/S diets, could be down-regulated by pretreatment with aggregate-free rabbit gamma globulin, as manifested by antibody to aggregated rabbit gamma globulin of isotypes IgG3 and IgG2b. Animals fed high P/S diets were not down-regulated by the pretreatment, but were sensitized; there was a 2-3-fold increase in IgG3, IgG1, IgG2a and IgA antibody to rabbit gamma globulin.