Molecular nutrition & food research
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Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) generally refer to monocytes and lymphocytes, representing cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. PBMCs are a promising target tissue in the field of nutrigenomics because they seem to reflect the effects of dietary modifications at the level of gene expression. In this review, we describe and discuss the scientific literature concerning the use of gene expression at the mRNA level measured from PBMCs in dietary interventions studies conducted in humans. ⋯ PBMC gene expression after dietary intervention studies can be used for studying the response of certain genes related to fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism, and to explore the response of dietary interventions in relation to inflammation. However, PBMC transcriptomics from dietary intervention studies have not resulted yet in clear confirmation of candidate genes related to disease risk. Use of microarray technology in larger well-designed dietary intervention studies is still needed for exploring PBMC potential in the field of nutrigenomics.
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Atherosclerosis has an important inflammatory component and acute cardiovascular events can be initiated by inflammatory processes occurring in advanced plaques. Fatty acids influence inflammation through a variety of mechanisms; many of these are mediated by, or associated with, the fatty acid composition of cell membranes. Human inflammatory cells are typically rich in the n-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, but the contents of arachidonic acid and of the marine n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can be altered through oral administration of EPA and DHA. ⋯ EPA and DHA also affect production of peptide mediators of inflammation (adhesion molecules, cytokines, etc.). Thus, the fatty acid composition of human inflammatory cells influences their function; the contents of arachidonic acid, EPA and DHA appear to be especially important. The anti-inflammatory effects of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may contribute to their protective actions towards atherosclerosis and plaque rupture.