Effect of Free Fatty Acids on Inflammatory Gene Expression and Hydrogen Peroxide Production by Ex Vivo Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Antoni Sureda,Antoni Pons,Miquel Martorell,David Mateos,Josep A Tur,Laura Gallardo-Alfaro,Cristina Bouzas,Xavier Capó,Maria Del Mar Bibiloni

doi:10.3390/nu12010146

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess free fatty acids’ (FAs) ex vivo anti-/proinflammatory capabilities and their influence on inflammatory gene expression and H2O2 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Anthropometric and clinical measurements were performed in 26 participants with metabolic syndrome. Isolated PBMCs were incubated ex vivo for 2 h with several free fatty acids—palmitic, oleic, α-linolenic, γ-linolenic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic at 50 μM, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone or in combination. H2O2 production and IL6, NFκB, TLR2, TNFα, and COX-2 gene expressions were determined. Palmitic, γ-linolenic, and arachidonic acids showed minor effects on inflammatory gene expression, whereas oleic, α-linolenic, and docosahexaenoic acids reduced proinflammatory gene expression in LPS-stimulated PBMCs. Arachidonic and α-linolenic acids treatment enhanced LPS-stimulated H2O2 production by PBMCs, while palmitic, oleic, γ-linolenic, and docosahexaenoic acids did not exert significant effects. Oleic, α-linolenic, and docosahexaenoic acids induced anti-inflammatory responses in PBMCs. Arachidonic and α-linolenic acids enhanced the oxidative status of LPS-stimulated PBMCs. In conclusion, PBMC ex vivo assays are useful to assess the anti-/proinflammatory and redox-modulatory effects of fatty acids or other food bioactive compounds.

Highlights

The field of bioactive food compounds and their effectiveness on human health is gaining interest.The effects of these compounds are mainly assessed using animal models, but in vivo and ex vivo studies are useful methodologies
We showed that some fatty acids’ (FAs) modulated proinflammatory gene expression in
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with oleic, α-linolenic, arachidonic acids, or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) resulted in different responses, depending on the FA and the gene

Summary

Introduction

The field of bioactive food compounds and their effectiveness on human health is gaining interest.The effects of these compounds are mainly assessed using animal models, but in vivo and ex vivo studies are useful methodologies. The field of bioactive food compounds and their effectiveness on human health is gaining interest. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), largely composed of lymphocytes and monocytes, are an obtainable fraction of blood cells with high research possibilities to test the effects of food compounds [1,2]. These cells are a promising target tissue as changes in their environment are reflected at the level of gene expression [2,3]. Previous reports showed the utility of PBMCs in evidencing the effects of a functional food, training, and acute exercise on mitochondrial oxidative balance, mitochondrial biosynthesis and dynamics, and antioxidant capabilities [6,7]

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