A Brief Review on Fatty Acids Acts an Immunomodulator

The fatty acid composition of lymphocytes, and other immune cells, is altered according to the fatty acid composition of the diet and this alters the capacity of those cells to produce eicosanoids, such as prostaglandin E2, which are involved in immune-regulation. A high fat diet can impair lymphocyte function. Cell culture and animal feeding studies indicate that oleic, linoleic, conjugated linoleic, g-linolenic, dihomo-g-linolenic, arachidonic, a-linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids can all influence lymphocyte proliferation, the production of cytokines by lymphocytes, and natural killer cell activity. High intakes of some of these fatty acids are necessary to induce these effects. Among these fatty acids the long chain n-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, appear to be the most potent when included in the human diet. These effects appear to mediated at the membrane level suggesting important roles of fatty acids in membrane order, lipid propel structure and function, and membrane trafficking. Thus, the fatty acid composition of human immune cells influences their function and the cell membrane contents of arachidonic acid, Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acids are important. Fatty acids influence immune cell function through a variety of complex mechanisms and these mechanisms are now beginning to be tattered.