Consumption of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid impair murine interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma production in vivo

In mice, individual dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 (PUFA) were found to be sufficient to effect the changes in circulating interleuki n (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma levels that were previously seen in fi sh oil-fed mice. Weanling female C3H mice were fed one of five experimental diets. All five diets met all known nutritional requirements for mice and differed only in the fat source. After 4 weeks, mice were challenged with l ive Listeria monocytogenes or sterile PBS. Twenty-four hours after infectio n, n-3 PUFA-fed mice had significantly lower circulating IL-12 p70 and IFN- gamma than mice fed the control diet (P<.01), In addition, splenic cytokine mRNA for IL-12 p40, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and IL-1 beta were lower in infected mice fed n-3 PUFA-containing diets than in mice fed the olive o il ethyl esters control diet. The reduction of IL-12 and IFN-gamma producti on by n-3 PUFA may have important implications for host infectious disease resistance.