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Borage (Borago officinalis) oil supplementation in relation to monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 expression in healthy subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2008

M. Xiang ,
E. Pinto ,
M. A. Rahman ,
M. Leach  and
L. S. Harbige
M. Xiang
Affiliation:
Centre for Biosciences Research, School of Science, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
E. Pinto
Affiliation:
Centre for Biosciences Research, School of Science, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
M. A. Rahman
Affiliation:
Centre for Biosciences Research, School of Science, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
M. Leach
Affiliation:
Centre for Biosciences Research, School of Science, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
L. S. Harbige
Affiliation:
Centre for Biosciences Research, School of Science, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent and University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
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Abstract

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Type
1st International Immunonutrition Workshop, Valencia, 3–5 October 2007, Valencia, Spain
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 67 , Issue OCE1: 1st International Immunonutrition Workshop, Valencia, 3–5 October 2007, Valencia, Spain , May 2008 , E44
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2008

Essential fatty acids (EFA) have unique roles as precursor molecules of chemical regulators of inflammatory cell function(Reference Harbige1–Reference Belch and Hill3). In comparison with linoleic acid (18: 2n-6), γ-linolenic acid (GLA; 18: 3n-6) may have superior biopotency because the GLA bypasses the Δ6 desaturation, which is regarded as a key regulatory rate-limiting enzymic step controlling the formation of long-chain (LC) PUFA(Reference Xiang, Harbige and Zetterstrom4, Reference Xiang, Rahman, Ai, Li and Harbige5). The present study investigated GLA-rich borage oil supplementation in relation to the monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1; CCL2) expression from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at the gene and protein levels in human subjects. Seven healthy volunteers who ingested 14 g borage oil/d consecutively for 13 weeks were studied. It was found that the MCP-1 production from both unstimulated and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated PBMC was reduced during the time-course of the intervention. Furthermore, MCP-1 from the PHA-stimulated PBMC decreased significantly during the 13 weeks of the intervention period. In addition, the level of PBMC MCP-1 gene expression was reduced significantly during the supplementation. A significant positive correlation was found between the expression of MCP-1 gene and MCP-1 production from both unstimulated (r 0.40, P<0.05; Figure (A)) and PHA-stimulated PBMCs (r 0.66, P<0.001; Figure (B)).

The study has, for the first time, revealed that GLA-rich borage oil supplementation in human subjects results in the inhibition of PBMC MCP-1 expression at the gene and protein levels. The suppressive effect of GLA-rich borage oil on PBMC MCP-1 expression may be beneficial to chronic inflammatory diseases.

References

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2. Kast, RE (2001) Int Immunopharmacol 1, 2197–2199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Belch, JJ & Hill, A (2000) Am J Clin Nutr 71, Suppl., 352S–356S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Xiang, M, Harbige, LS & Zetterstrom, R (2007) Acta Paediatr 96, 387–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Xiang, M, Rahman, MA, Ai, H, Li, X & Harbige, LS (2006) Ann Nutr Metab 50, 492–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar