Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid Influences the Immune Response of Young and Old C57BL/6NCrlBR Mice.

Manuscript received 6 January 1998. Initial reviews completed 25 February 1998. Revision accepted 14 September 1998.

Michael G. Hayek^*, , Sung Nim Han^*, Dayong Wu^*, Bruce A. Watkins, Mohsen Meydani^*, Jodee L. Dorsey^**, Donald E. Smith^*, and Simin Nikbin Meydani^*,

^* Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111,  Department of Food Science, Lipid Chemistry and Metabolism Laboratory, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 and ^** Department of Nutrition, Food & Movement Science, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2033

Aging is associated with a decline in the immune response in mammals. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been suggested to have immunoenhancing properties. We examined the influence of dietary CLA on the immune response of young and old mice. Forty young (4 mo) and 40 old (22 mo) mice consumed ad libitum diets containing 0 or 1 g CLA /100 g for 8 wk. Splenocytes from half of the mice were isolated to evaluate proliferation to concanavalin A (Con A) (0.5, 1.5, 5.0 mg/L) and phytohemagglutinin A (PHA) (5, 20, 40 mg/L) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5, 15, 30 mg/L), natural killer cell (NK) activity and prostaglandin (PG)E₂ and interleukin (IL)-2 production. The remaining mice were used to evaluate in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin response. There was a significant decline due to age in response to all three mitogens tested (P < 0.05). CLA supplementation significantly increased all CLA isomers measured in hepatic neutral lipids and phospholipids (P < 0.05). Young mice fed 1% CLA had greater splenocyte proliferation in response to Con A (0.5 and 5.0 mg/L) and PHA (40 mg/L) (P < 0.05) than young mice fed control diet. Old mice fed 1 g CLA/100 g had significantly higher proliferative response to optimal concentrations of Con A (1.5 mg/L) (P < 0.001) than the mice fed the control diet. Old mice fed the control diet had significantly lower splenocyte IL-2 production than the young mice (P < 0.005). CLA-supplemented young mice had significantly higher splenocyte IL-2 production than those fed the control diet (P < 0.05). CLA had no effect on NK cell activity, PGE₂ production or DTH in young or old mice. Further studies are needed to determine the mechanism of CLA-induced enhancement of IL-2 production and T cell proliferation.

The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 129 No. 1 January 1999, pp. 32-38
Copyright ©1999 by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences

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