The Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Arachidonic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Induce Mouse Dendritic Cells Maturation but Reduce T-Cell Responses In Vitro

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 30;10(11):e0143741. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143741. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) might regulate T-cell activation and lineage commitment. Here, we measured the effects of omega-3 (n-3), n-6 and n-9 fatty acids on the interaction between dendritic cells (DCs) and naïve T cells. Spleen DCs from BALB/c mice were cultured in vitro with ovalbumin (OVA) with 50 μM fatty acids; α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid or oleic acid and thereafter OVA-specific DO11.10 T cells were added to the cultures. Fatty acids were taken up by the DCs, as shown by gas chromatography analysis. After culture with arachidonic acid or DHA CD11c+ CD11b+ and CD11c+ CD11bneg DCs expressed more CD40, CD80, CD83, CD86 and PDL-1, while IAd remained unchanged. However, fewer T cells co-cultured with these DCs proliferated (CellTrace Violet low) and expressed CD69 or CD25, while more were necrotic (7AAD+). We noted an increased proportion of T cells with a regulatory T cell (Treg) phenotype, i.e., when gating on CD4+ FoxP3+ CTLA-4+, CD4+ FoxP3+ Helios+ or CD4+ FoxP3+ PD-1+, in co-cultures with arachidonic acid- or DHA-primed DCs relative to control cultures. The proportion of putative Tregs was inversely correlated to T-cell proliferation, indicating a suppressive function of these cells. With arachidonic acid DCs produced higher levels of prostaglandin E2 while T cells produced lower amounts of IL-10 and IFNγ. In conclusion arachidonic acid and DHA induced up-regulation of activation markers on DCs. However arachidonic acid- and DHA-primed DCs reduced T-cell proliferation and increased the proportion of T cells expressing FoxP3, indicating that these fatty acids can promote induction of regulatory T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arachidonic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Biomarkers / metabolism*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects*
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Spleen / cytology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • Arachidonic Acid

Grants and funding

The work was supported by IngaBritt and Arne Lundbergs foundation (http://www.lundbergsstiftelsen.se/index.html), Wilhelm and Martina Lundgrens Foundation (www.wmlundgren.se/) (JC), the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg (http://sahlgrenska.gu.se/) (JC) and the Graduate School in Environment and Health, a cooperation between University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and the Västra Götaland Region, coordinated by the Centre for Environment and Sustainability (http://gmv.gu.se/miljohalsa) (AW). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.