Impact of Dietary Fat on Th1/Th2 Cytokine Gene Expression in the Pancreas and Gut of Diabetes-prone BB Rats

• Published in: Journal of autoimmunity Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 97 - 103
• Main Authors: Kleemann, Rainer, Scott, Fraser W, Wörz-Pagenstert, Ute, Nimal Ratnayake, W.M, Kolb, Hubert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01-02-1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - immunology; diet, fish oil, insulitis, BB rat, cytokines; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Disease Susceptibility; Experimental and animal immunopathology. Animal models; Fatty Acids - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fish Oils - administration & dosage; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Immunopathology; Intestine, Small - drug effects; Intestine, Small - immunology; Intestine, Small - metabolism; Linseed Oil - administration & dosage; Medical sciences; Organ Specificity - drug effects; Pancreas - drug effects; Pancreas - immunology; Pancreas - metabolism; Peyer's Patches - drug effects; Peyer's Patches - immunology; Peyer's Patches - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Inbred BB; Th1 Cells - drug effects; Th1 Cells - metabolism; Th2 Cells - drug effects; Th2 Cells - metabolism; diet, fish oil, insulitis, BB rat, cytokines; Endocrinopathy; Immunopathology; Insulitis; Animal model; Peyer patch; Rat; Immunomodulation; Cytokine; Rodentia; Autoimmune disease; Helper cell; Supplemented diet; n-3 fatty acid; Fatty acids; Cell subpopulation; Vertebrata; Mammalia; n-6 fatty acid; Animal; Interleukin 10; T-Lymphocyte; Insulin dependent diabetes; Pancreas; Gamma interferon
• ISSN: 0896-8411; 1095-9157
• DOI: 10.1006/jaut.1997.0179

The effect of dietary n-3 or n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the development of autoimmune insulitis was analysed in diabetes-prone BB rats. Litter-matched groups of rats received a standard open formula NIH-07 (National Institutes of Health, NIH) diet enriched with 10% fish oil, 10% flaxseed oil or with 10% palm oil plus 2% cholesterol during the period of insulitis onset (50–70 days of age). Analysis of cytokine gene expression in pancreatic RNA revealed an increase of IFN-γ and a decrease of IL-10 mRNA with onset of insulitis. When compared to unsupplemented NIH, none of the three fat-enriched diets depressed the rise of IFN-γ gene expression or the influx of leukocytes into islets. However, all of the fat-enriched diets led to significantly higher IL-10 mRNA levels. Although a specific anti-inflammatory effect of fish oil was not seen in the pancreas, a clear shift of the Th1/Th2 cytokine mRNA ratio towards Th2 was seen in the gut-associated immune system. We conclude that diets high in fat support IL-10 without suppressing IFN-γ gene expression in islet inflammation. A special anti-inflammatory effect of fish oil was not seen in pancreatic lesions of BB rats, although there was strong modulation of the IFN-γ/IL-10 mRNA ratio in the gut associated immune system.