Polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids-rich diets and immune tissues. 2. Maximal activities of key enzymes of glutaminolysis, glycolysis, pentose-phosphate-pathway and Krebs cycle in thymus, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes.

It has been widely reported that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PU-FA n-6) in the diet lead to immunosuppression. In the present study, the activity of key enzymes several metabolic pathways were measured in the immune tissues of rats fed polyunsaturated (UC) or saturated fatty (SC) acids-rich diets. The following enzyme activities were measured: hexokinase, citrate synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutaminase and malic enzyme. The metabolism of immune tissues was markedly changed by the fat content of the diet. However, UC diet determined more significant metabolic changes than SC diet.