Polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids-rich diets and immune tissues. 1. Fresh weight, DNA content, percentage of lipids and rate of lipogenesis from 3H2O in thymus, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes.

It has been widely reported that polyunsaturated fatty acids-rich diets (PUFA n-6) cause immunodeficiency. In this study, fresh weight, DNA and lipid content and rate of lipogenesis from 3H2O of thymus, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and liver were assessed in rats fed polyunsaturated (UC) or saturated (SC) fatty acids-rich chows. The results obtained indicate that both types of fatty acids caused similar increment of lipid content in the immune tissues. The rate of lipogenesis was decreased only in the thymus of (UC) rats and liver of both experimental groups as compared to control rats. The results of fresh weight and DNA content was decreased only by (UC) diet.