Mucosal IgA increase in rats by continuous CLA feeding during suckling and early infancy

Francisco J. Pérez-Cano¹^,2^,*, Carolina Ramírez-Santana²^,*, Marta Molero-Luís^*, Margarida Castell^*, Montserrat Rivero, Cristina Castellote^* and Àngels Franch^*

^* Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Ordesa Group, Research Department, Scientific Park of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
^² F. J. Pérez-Cano and C. Ramírez-Santana contributed equally to this work.

This study was funded in part by the Generalitat de Catalunya(SGCR-2005-00833). C. C. and A. F. acknowledge partial fundingfor this research from CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública(CIBERESP), Spain. C. R. S. has a grant from Agencia Españolade Cooperación Internacional. The oil used in the studywas a gift from Loders Croklaan, Lipid Nutrition, Wormerveer,The Netherlands.

Published, JLR Papers in Press, September 29, 2008.

^¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: franciscoperez{at}ub.edu

The aim of this work was to establish the effect of the cis9,trans11conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomer on mucosal immunity duringearly life in rats, a period when mucosal immunoglobulin productionis poorly developed, as is also the case in humans. CLA supplementationwas performed during three life periods: gestation, suckling,and early infancy. The immune status of supplemented animalswas evaluated at two time points: at the end of the sucklingperiod (21-day-old rats) and 1 week after weaning (28-day-oldrats). Secretory IgA was quantified in intestinal washes from28-day-old rats by ELISA technique. IgA, TGFβ, and PPAR ${gamma}$ mRNA expression was measured in small intestine and colon byreal time PCR, using Taqman® specific probes and primers.IgA mucosal production was enhanced in animals supplementedwith CLA during suckling and early infancy: in 28-day-old rats,IgA mRNA expression was increased in small intestine and colonby approximately 6- and 4-fold, respectively, and intestinalIgA protein by $~$ 2-fold. TGFβ gene expression was independentof age and type of tissue considered, and was not modified bydietary CLA. Gene expression of PPAR ${gamma}$ , a possible mediator ofCLA's effects was also upregulated in animals receiving CLAduring early life. In conclusion, dietary supplementation withCLA during suckling and extended to early infancy enhances developmentof the intestinal immune response in rats.

Supplementary key words gestation • mucosal immunity • conjugated linoleic acid

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