Grant: Operating Grant

There is much controversy surrounding the health effects and requirements for essential dietary fats. One of the most important ways that fats affect health and disease is by being converted in the body to molecules called oxylipins. The oxylipins are made from essential fats consumed in the diet. However, information on the levels, as well as the biological effects, of the most common oxylipins is lacking largely because of difficulties in analyzing them. However, the development of appropriate analytical equipment and techniques now makes this possible. This proposal will examine the effects of essential dietary fats on these novel oxylipins, specifically the ones called octadecanoids. While octadecanoids likely influence many aspects of health and disease, this proposal will focus on their ability to affect inflammation caused by obesity. In the first study, obese and non-obese humans will be given capsules containing different types of dietary oils. The effects of these oils on octadecanoid and oxylipin levels, and markers of inflammation will be assessed. The second study will use cell culture to examine the effects of adding purified oxylipins to immune cells, specifically peripheral blood mononuclear cells and human macrophages. This will allow us to determine the modes of action and relative biopotencies of the different oxylipins in relation to markers of inflammation in immune cells. Overall, this research will provide new information on which oxylipins are produced, how their levels are affected by obesity, how their levels are affected by different dietary fats, and whether changes in oxylipins reduce or enhance inflammation associated with obesity. This research also will help to address questions regarding dietary fat requirements, and provide the basis for further human studies in this area.