Engels W, Van Haaster C M, Lemmens P J, Van der Vusse G J, Hornstra G
Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
Inflamm Res. 1997 May;46(5):185-90. doi: 10.1007/s000110050170.
In the present study we determined the extent to which the degranulation process in mast cells was related to the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids.
Peritoneal mast cells were isolated from Wistar rats (3 groups of 18 animals each), fed for 6 weeks diets which differed in their fatty acid compositions: (i) genuine salmon oil, abundant in (n-3) fatty acids, (ii) sunflower seed oil, rich in (n-6) fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, and (iii) hydrogenated coconut oil, rich in saturated fatty acids.
Mast cells (10(6)/ml) were stimulated with various concentrations of the mast cell-degranulating agent, compound 48/80 (0.1-10 micrograms/ml). The extent of mast cell degranulation was quantified by determination of histamine in the supernatants using HPLC techniques.
No differences in compound 48/80-induced histamine release between the three dietary groups for any of the concentrations of compound 48/80 tested were found. Analysis of variance followed by Tukey's method for multiple comparisons was used to evaluate the effect of changes in the dietary fat type.
These findings strongly suggest that in contrast to the formation of eicosanoids, the process of mast cell degranulation by a receptor-independent pathway is not controlled by the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids.
