Increased survival after cecal ligation and puncture in mice consuming diets enriched with sesame seed oil

Objectives: Lignans that present in the nonfat portion of sesame seed oil ( SSO) can inhibit Delta -5 desaturase activity, resulting in an increase in the accumulation of dihomo-gamma -linolenic acid and, subsequently, decreas e the production of proinflammatory dienoic eicosanoids with a concomitant increase in the secretion of less inflammatory monoenoic eicosanoids. Design: Female Balb/c mice were fed diets supplemented with 5wt% SSO or a p hysical mixture of oils (control) whose fatty acid composition resembled th at of SSO for 3 wks. Measurements and Main Results: During a 4-day observation period after ceca l ligation and puncture, only 20% of the controls and as many as 65% in the SSO group survived. Furthermore, the levels of cytokines and dienoic eicos anoids produced in response to an intraperitoneal injection of a nonlethal dose (50 mug/mouse) of endotoxin were measured in both groups. The interleu kin (IL)-10 levels were markedly higher in mice fed SSO diets compared with the controls. However, the plasma concentrations of prostaglandin E-1 (+) (2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6, and IL-12 did not differ significan tly between the two groups of mice. Conclusions: Because the fatty acid composition is almost similar between t he two diets, sesamin, sesamol and other lignans in SSO appear to be respon sible for an increase in survival after cecal ligation and puncture and als o for an increase in the IL-10 levels in response to a nonlethal dose of en dotoxin in mice.