The content of docosahexaenoic acid in the suckling and the weaning diet beneficially modulates the ability of immune cells to response to stimuli.

The objective of the study was to isolate the effect of feeding a diet supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during the suckling and/or the weaning period on immune system development and function in offspring. Dams were randomized to one of two nutritionally adequate diets: control diet (N=12, 0% DHA) or DHA diet (N=8, 0.9% DHA). Diets were fed to dams throughout lactation, and then at weaning (21d), two pups per dam were randomly assigned to continue on the same diet as the dam or consume the other experimental diet for an additional 21d. At 6 weeks, splenocyte phenotypes and ex vivo cytokine production after stimulation with concanavalin A (ConA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or ovalbumin were assessed. Pups who received the control diet during both periods had the lowest production of IL-2 after ConA (P<.05 for interaction). Pups fed DHA during suckling had higher IL-10 production after all mitogens, regardless of the weaning diet (P<.05). Feeding DHA at weaning, regardless of the suckling diet, resulted in a lower production of IL-1β and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated splenocytes and a higher proportion of total CD27+ cells (all P<.03). Our findings suggest that providing no DHA during critical periods of immune development resulted in a less efficient Th1 response upon challenge (IL-2 production). Feeding DHA during suckling had a programming effect on the ability of splenocytes to produce the regulatory cytokine IL-10. Feeding a DHA diet during weaning led to a lower TNF-α and IL-1β response to a bacterial antigen.