The effect of dietary autoxidized oils on immunocompetent cells in mice.

Effects of dietary autoxidized oil on immunocompetent cells, such as splenocytes and thymocytes, were studied in mice. When the autoxidized methyl linoleate was administered orally to male C57BL/6 mice in a single dose, the DNA synthesis of thymocytes was remarkably depressed 1 day after the treatment, and then the mitogenic response to concanavalin A of splenocytes was increased 3 days after the dose. With long-term (90 days) feeding of slightly autoxidized soybean oil (with a peroxide value of 150 mequiv/kg) in mice, the DNA synthesis of thymocytes was depressed and the mitogenic response to concanavalin A of splenocytes was increased. No effect was observed on plasma glutamic acid-oxaloacetic acid transaminase and glutamic acid-pyruvic acid transaminase levels, nor on liver thiobarbituric acid reactants due to the dose of autoxidized soybean oil. These findings indicate that oral intake of autoxidized oil affects immunocompetent cells and causes depression of the DNA synthesis of thymocytes in mice.