Differential immunomodulation with long-chain n-3 PUFA in health and chronic disease.

The balance of intake of n-6 and n-3 PUFA, and consequently their relative incorporation into immune cells, is important in determining the development and severity of immune and inflammatory responses. Some disorders characterised by exaggerated inflammation and excessive formation of inflammatory markers have become among the most important causes of death and disability in man in modern societies. The recognition that long-chain n-3 PUFA have the potential to inhibit (excessive) inflammatory responses has led to a large number of clinical investigations with these fatty acids in inflammatory conditions as well as in healthy subjects. The present review explores the presence of dose-related effects of long-chain n-3 PUFA supplementation on immune markers and differences between healthy subjects and those with inflammatory conditions, because of the important implications for the transfer of information gained from studies with healthy subjects to patient populations, e.g. for establishing dose levels for specific applications. The effects of long-chain n-3 PUFA supplementation on ex vivo lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production by lymphocytes and monocytes in healthy subjects have been studied in twenty-seven, twenty-five and forty-six treatment cohorts respectively, at intake levels ranging from 0.2 g EPA+DHA/d to 7.0 g EPA+DHA/d. Most studies, particularly those with the highest quality study design, have found no effects on these immune markers. Significant effects on lymphocyte proliferation are decreased responses in seven of eight cohorts, particularly in older subjects. The direction of the significant changes in cytokine production by lymphocytes is inconsistent and only found at supplementation levels > or =2.0 g EPA+DHA/d. Significant changes in inflammatory cytokine production by monocytes are decreases in their production in all instances. Overall, these studies fail to reveal strong dose-response effects of EPA+DHA on the outcomes measured and suggest that healthy subjects are relatively insensitive to immunomodulation with long-chain n-3 PUFA, even at intake levels that substantially raise their concentrations in phospholipids of immune cells. In patients with inflammatory conditions cytokine concentrations or production are influenced by EPA+DHA supplementation in a relatively large number of studies. Some of these studies suggest that local effects at the site of inflammation might be more pronounced than systemic effects and disease-related markers are more sensitive to the immunomodulatory effects, indicating that the presence of inflamed tissue or 'sensitised' immune cells in inflammatory disorders might increase sensitivity to the immunomodulatory effects of long-chain n-3 PUFA. In a substantial number of these studies clinical benefits related to the inflammatory state of the condition have been observed in the absence of significant effects on immune markers of inflammation. This finding suggests that condition-specific clinical end points might be more sensitive markers of modulation by EPA+DHA than cytokines. In general, the direction of immunomodulation in healthy subjects (if any) and in inflammatory conditions is the same, which indicates that studies in healthy subjects are a useful tool to describe the general principles of immunomodulation by n-3 PUFA. However, the extent of the effect might be very different in inflammatory conditions, indicating that studies in healthy subjects are not particularly suitable for establishing dose levels for specific applications in inflammatory conditions. The reviewed studies provide no indications that the immunomodulatory effects of long-chain n-3 PUFA impair immune function or infectious disease resistance. In contrast, in some conditions the immunomodulatory effects of EPA+DHA might improve immune function.

Effects of oils rich in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids on immune cell composition and function in healthy humans.

BACKGROUND: Supplementation of the diet with fish oil, which is rich in the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is reported to decrease several markers of immune function. However, whether EPA, DHA, or a combination of the 2 exerts these immunomodulatory effects is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the effects of supplementation with an EPA-rich or DHA-rich oil on a range of immune outcomes representing key functions of human neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes in healthy humans. DESIGN: In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study, 42 healthy subjects were randomly allocated to receive supplementation with either placebo (olive oil), EPA (4.7 g/d), or DHA (4.9 g/d) for 4 wk. Blood samples were taken before and after supplementation. RESULTS: The fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids and neutrophils was dramatically altered by supplementation with EPA or DHA, and the effects of EPA differed notably from those of DHA. DHA supplementation decreased T lymphocyte activation, as assessed by expression of CD69, whereas EPA supplementation had no significant effect. Neither the EPA-rich oil nor the DHA-rich oil had any significant effect on monocyte or neutrophil phagocytosis or on cytokine production or adhesion molecule expression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with DHA, but not with EPA, suppresses T lymphocyte activation, as assessed by expression of CD69. EPA alone does not, therefore, influence CD69 expression. No other marker of immune function assessed in this study was significantly affected by either EPA or DHA.

The role of arachidonate metabolites in ocular inflammation.

PGs and leukotrienes are said to be mediators of various aspects of inflammation. In the rabbit eye, PGs are primarily involved in vasodilation and at least in rabbits, disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier. These effects vary qualitatively in different species. In the responses of the eye to chemical, mechanical, or neurogenic injury, PG involvement is limited, as indicated by the fact that cyclooxygenase inhibitors do not totally abrogate the responses. Inflammation, whether in the eye or in other tissues, is more complex than the injury responses. Complement pathway, arachidonate metabolites, cytokines, and monokines are major components in inflammation, but not necessarily in the response of tissues to injury. Topical or intracameral administration of leukotriene B4 causes PMN chemotaxis without affecting the blood-aqueous barrier. Peptidoleukotrienes such as leukotriene C4 and D4, on the other hand, are not chemotactic, but they do increase the permeability of the conjunctival microvasculature. Cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase products have been detected in the anterior chamber during the course of experimentally induced ocular inflammation and in humans with uveitis, but whether their presence is incidental or causal is yet to be established. In spite of numerous investigations, the precise role and the extent of involvement of arachidonic acid metabolites in ocular and non-ocular inflammatory diseases remain controversial. Pharmacologic studies on the effects of CO inhibitors like indomethacin in experimental models of inflammation have provided evidence that PGs participate in vascular reactions but not in leukocyte infiltration. PGs are also capable of interacting with other vasoactive agents to enhance the responses. In humans, such roles for PGs in inflammatory diseases are probably incidental. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, treatment with CO inhibitors provides symptomatic relief without attacking the underlying cause of the disease. Post-operative vascular leakage is reportedly inhibited by some cyclooxygenase inhibitors (Mishima et al., 1989), but it remains to be seen whether they effectively arrest the processes that in some cases lead to the progression of the disease. Most of the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors examined to date in experimental animals have been found to be non-selective. Only recently have highly selective 5-LO inhibitors become available, and these are currently being examined. Thus, evidence from animal studies with 5-LO inhibitors suggests the involvement of LTB4 in leukocyte infiltration and of peptidoleukotrienes in bronchospasm as well as in increased microvascular permeability of the conjunctiva and other

Inhibitors of the arachidonic acid cascade in the management of ocular inflammation.

At the present time, corticosteroids are still the most effective class of drugs for the treatment of ocular inflammation. However, since their prolonged use may result in severe ocular side effects, it would be therapeutically beneficial to develop nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that have similar or greater efficacy than steroids, but do not share their ocular side effects. Several currently available non-steroidal drugs have been used clinically as prophylactic or therapeutic agents for the following: 1. Prevention of pupillary constriction during intraocular surgery (cataract extraction). 2. Prevention of postoperative inflammation, i.e., incidence of anterior chamber cellular reaction and aqueous flare (breakdown of blood-aqueous barrier) and IOP rise following cataract surgery, intraocular lens implantation, and argon laser trabeculoplasty. 3. Prevention of contact lens induced corneal neovascularization. 4. Improvement of lens opacity (bendazac). 5. Prevention of cystoid macular edema following intraocular surgery. Treatment over long-term period may be effective; postoperative treatment is ineffective. 6. Prevention of conjunctival hyperemia. Some prophylactic ocular uses such as prevention of surgical miosis or postoperative fluorescein leakage have been reported to be successful. However, it is unclear whether the reported success reflected the pharmacological effects due to inhibition of the AA cascade - and hence, reflects the role of some eicosanoids in surgical miosis or postoperative fluorescein leakage - or reflect the effects of these drugs on unexplored physiological or pharmacological mechanisms. For example, pretreatment with flurbiprofen to prevent surgical miosis was based on the assumption that PGs are potent miotic agents in all mammals, including humans. It remains to be established however, whether the small reduction in the extent of pupillary miosis is due to prevention of PG synthesis by this drug or to the prevention of the synthesis of other AA products, such as prostacyclin and thromboxane or possibly to some entirely different mechanism. Prevention of post-surgical fluorescein leakage by prophylactic pre and/or post surgical treatment with a variety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents is also assumed to be due to inhibition of intraocular PG synthesis, although the possibility that it is due to prevention of the synthesis of prostacyclin or TxA2 has not been ruled out. Even more important, it has not been demonstrated that prevention of this post operative fluorescein leakage reflects the prevention or inhibition of true CME and associated loss of visual acuity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)