EFFECTS OF DIETARY FISH-OIL AND SOY PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE ON NEUTROPHILFATTY-ACID COMPOSITION, SUPEROXIDE RELEASE, AND ADHESION

Fifty-seven healthy volunteers matched for sex and age were subdivided in 3 groups and their usual Western diets were supplemented according to three different protocols: group 1, fish oil supplement (20 ml/day ); group 2, soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC) (25 g/day) and group 3, n o supplementation (control group). After 2 weeks several important mod ifications of neutrophil fatty acid composition were observed: fish oi l induced a significant decrease of linoleic (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) and a significant increase of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosah exaenoic acid (DHA), while soy PC induced significant increases of LA, total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and PUFA/SFA ratio. Neutrophi l superoxide generation and adhesion were not modified by fish oil die t, on the contrary a slight but significant increase of O-2(.-) produc tion in response to fMLP was measured after soy PC diet. Our study con firms the possibility of changing neutrophil fatty acid composition in vivo by dietary means, but also suggests that the manipulation of cel l functions, like superoxide anion generation and adhesion, is not eas ily and directly achieved by controlling membrane lipid environment.