Dietary fatty acids influence the appearance of tumour necrosis factor-alpha receptors on adipocytes following an immune challenge

Rats were fed from weaning on chow supplemented with suer or sunflower oil (10 % (w/w) each). The appearance of receptors for tumour necrosis factor-a lpha on perinodal adipocytes from the popliteal depot following a subcutane ous injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide was examined. In rats fed on sunflower oil-supplemented chow receptors appeared at a time similar to tha t described in rats fed unsupplemented chow, but in rats fed on chow supple mented with suet receptor appearance was significantly delayed. The poplite al adipocytes were found to contain different proportions of fatty acids as assessed by GLC. These preliminary results suggest that the fatty acid com ponent of the diet can, by influencing the triacylglycerol-fatty acids with in adipocytes, directly alter the time course of an early inflammatory immu ne response.