Importance of the Spleen for the Immuno-Inhibitory Action of Linoleic Acid in Mice

摘要

Certain immuno-inhibitory effects of a polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid (C18:2), no longer occur after splenectomy of young adult CBA mice. This observation suggests that the spleen is a major intermediary in the action of C18:2 on the lymphoreticular system. Pathways of this action remain to be elucidated. Possibilities include C18:2-stimulated suppressor cell generation in the spleen, or excess biosynthesis of immuno-inhibitory prostaglandins by splenic macrophages.