A High Linoleic Acid Diet does not Induce Inflammation in Mouse Liver or Adipose Tissue. Issue 11 (24th September 2015) - Vaughan, Roger A.
Abstract: Recently, the pro‐inflammatory effects of linoleic acid (LNA) have been re‐examined. It is now becoming clear that relatively few studies have adequately assessed the effects of LNA, independent of obesity. The purpose of this work was to compare the effects of several fat‐enriched but non‐obesigenic diets on inflammation to provide a more accurate assessment of LNA's ability to induce inflammation. Specifically, 8‐week‐old male C57Bl/6 mice were fed either saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), LNA, or alpha‐linolenic acid enriched diets (50 % Kcal from fat, 22 % wt/wt) for 4 weeks. Chow and high‐fat, hyper‐caloric diets were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Expression of pro‐inflammatory and pro‐coagulant markers from epididymal fat, liver, and plasma were measured along with food intake and body weights. Mice fed the high SFA, MUFA, and high‐fat diets exhibited increased pro‐inflammatory markers in liver and adipose tissue; however, mice fed LNA for four weeks did not display significant changes in pro‐inflammatory or pro‐coagulant markers in epididymal fat, liver, or plasma. The present study demonstrates that LNA alone is insufficient to induce inflammation. Instead, it is more likely that hyper‐caloric diets are responsible for diet‐induced inflammation possibly due to adipose tissue remodeling.