Immune system fatty acids effect

Adults have an acidic, fatty substance in and on the skin called sebum. Sebum functions as a natural antifungal agent, put of the innate immune system. Fatty acids have been iitetl for years with the idea that if a substance similar to sebum could be applied to the infected area, the effect of the sebum would be augmented and fungi could be eradi-caicd. The application of fatty acids or their salts does in fxi have an antifungal effect, albeit a feeble one. 

Unfortunately, excess consumption of fatty foods has been correlated with serious human disease conditions. Effects on cardiovascular disease (95), cancer (96), and function of the immune system (97) have been shown. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the effects of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids on semm cholesterol and more recently high density Hpoprotein (HDL) and low density Hpoprotein... 

In the ebb phase, there is increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and increased plasma levels of adrenaline and glucocorticoids but a decreased level of insulin. This results in mobilisation of glycogen in the liver and triacylglycerol in adipose tissue, so that the levels of two major fuels in the blood, glucose and long-chain fatty acids, are increased. This is, effectively, the stress response to trauma. These changes continue and are extended into the flow phase as the immune cells are activated and secrete the proinflammatory cytokines that further stimulate the mobilisation of fuel stores (Table 18.2). Thus the sequence is trauma increased endocrine hormone levels increased immune response increased levels of cytokines metabolic responses. 

The pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease is a multifactorial process involving metabolic repercussions of ethanol oxidation in the liver, dysregulation of fatty acid oxidation and synthesis, and activation of the innate immune system by a combination of direct effects of ethanol and its metabolites and by bacterial endotoxins that access the liver as a result of ethanol-induced changes in the intestinal tract. Tumor necrosis factor- , a proinflammatory cytokine that is consistently... 

In conclusion, historically it appears that there have been several AHR-mediated effects in seabirds in the Great Lakes, which probably contributed to reproductive failure and an increased incidence of live-abnormalities (in cormorants), but most of these were due to the effect of AHR PCB congeners, primarily PCB 126. The exceptions may be Lake Ontario and Saginaw Bay, where 2378-TeCDD concentrations and all PCDD/F concentrations, respectively, were very high in the 1970s. Contemporary AHR-mediated effects in Great Lakes seabirds are more likely to be subtle, such as effects on immune system function and fatty acid synthesis, rather than population-level effects such as reduction in reproductive success. Hoffman et al. [116] reviewed PCB and PCDD/F toxicity in birds. 

Portulaca oleracea commonly known as purslane belongs to the family Portulacaceae and is an herbaceous cosmopolitan weed. P. oleracea is one of the major sources of omega-3 fatty acids and was found to produce beneficial effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels in heart disease and in strengthening the immune system. The plant also possesses marked antioxidant activity (Reid, 1986 Chevallier, 1996 Hocking, 1997). 

The development, maintenance, and optimal functioning of the immune system are dependent on balanced and adequate nutrition. However, either a deficiency or an excess of a number of nutrients can have adverse effects. The nutrients with the most pronounced effects in humans include amount and type of dietary fatty acids (FAs), protein energy malnutrition, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and E, and minerals including zinc, copper, selenium, and iron. Multiple rather than single nutrient deficiencies... 

The immune system plays a major role in pain. Under pain situations, IL-1 induces a decrease inthe level of CRF, cortisol, and p-endorphin (Bessler, et al., 1996 Parsadaniatz, et al., 1997). CRF alone releases p-endorphin. IL-1 alone has the similar effect—releasing P-endorphin. n-3 Fatty acids protected the rats from opiate side effects (Frances, et al., 1996, Hargreaves et al., 1990, Jones et al., 1999). IL-1, on the other hand, increases the level of PGE2 (Hori, et al., 1998) to increase pain sensation. 

An understanding of the pervasive effects of PUFA on the complex interactions among the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems is not yet complete. However, itis already possible to speculate on the directions that much of the future research and clinical developments will pursue in these areas. Not least among such concerns are the needs to clarify the role of the individual fatty acids, to properly explain the prolilc of the fatty acids in both the brain and serum, and, in particular, to delineate the importance and funcdonal consequences of the n-6/n-3 ratio. Perhaps most important is to recognize the mediating funcdon that PUFAs provide and, thereby, to advance basic research in both behavior and the life sciences, and to develop clinical applications for the treatment and prevention of a wide range of chronic disorders. 

---