EFFECT OF UNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS AND ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL IN IMMUNOGLOBULIN LEVELS IN CULTURE-MEDIUM OF RAT MESENTERIC LYMPH-NODE AND SPLEEN LYMPHOCYTES

Mesenteric lymph node (MLN) and spleen lymphocytes of Sprague-Dawley r ats were cultured with I mM unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) with or wit hout 100 mu M alpha-tocopherol (Toe), and the immunoglobulin content a nd thiobarbituric acid (TEA) value of the culture media were measured to clarify the relationship between lipid peroxidation and the IgE lev el in the culture medium, The increase in the IgE content and TEA valu e induced by UFAs was alleviated in the presence of Toc in both lympho cytes, and was correlated well with their oxidation rates in most case s, gamma-Linolenic acid enhanced the IgE level much more than would be expected from its oxidation rate in both lymphocytes, and linoleic ac id showed similarly high activity only in splenocytes. These results s uggest that lipid peroxidation is partly responsible for the enhanceme nt of IgE level induced by UFAs.