Docosahexaenoic Acid Consumption Early in Life Improves Immune Dysfunction in High-Fat Diet-Fed Wistar Rats in a Sex-Specific Manner.

ABSTRACT: To investigate whether early-life docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) consumption mitigated the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on body composition, endocrine hormones, immune function, inflammatory biomarkers, and identify sex differences. Wistar rats were fed (PND 0-70) diets differing only in fat composition: control low-fat (10% fat, 0% arachidonic acid [ARA], 0% DHA), control high-fat (HF, 20% fat, 0% ARA, 0% DHA), or DHA HF (20% fat, 1% ARA, 2% DHA) (n = 16/group, males/females = 8/8). Plasma hormones (ELISA), inflammatory biomarkers (electrochemiluminescence), splenocytes phenotype (immunofluorescence), and ex vivo cytokine production (ELISA) after mitogen stimulation were measured. HFD did not alter body weight/composition or inflammatory profile but increased plasma glucagon-like peptide

SUBMITTER: Wang R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12824472 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature