Ahigh α-linolenate diet has no significant effect on interleukin-1 production but suppresses the loss of body weight in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice

We have previously demonstrated that lipopolysac-charide (LPS)-induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a crucial mediator of endotoxin shock, was stimulated by feeding a high a-linolenate (18:3n-3) diet as compared with a high linoleate (18:2n-6) diet (Watanabe, S. et al., Life Sci., 1991). The production of interleukin-1 (IL-1), another mediator of endotoxin shock, in mouse macrophages was found not to be affected significantly by these diets. When mice were injected with a lethal dose of LPS to induce severe endotoxin shock, the serum levels of IL-1 activity as well as corticosterone were elevated significantly, but similarly between the two dietary groups. However, the loss of body weight of mice during endotoxin shock was significantly less in the high α-lin-olenate diet group than in the high linoleate diet group, although mortality from endotoxin shock was not affected. Thus, the high α-linolenate diet suppresses the loss of body weight during endotox-in shock accompanying a significant increase in TNF but not IL-1 production as compared with the high linoleate diet.