Omega-3, Curcumin Combo Reduce Inflammation

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Results from a study at Texas A&M University suggest combination chemotherapy (omega-3s + curcumin or limonin) may favorably modulate CD4+ T-cell–mediated inflammation (J Nutr. 2009;130(5)1042-42). Phytochemicals may reduce chronic inflammation and cancer risk in part by modulating T-cell nuclear factor-B (NF-B) activation. Therefore, researchers examined the effects of curcumin (Cur) and limonin (Lim) feeding on NF-B–dependent CD4+ T-cell proliferation. Transgenic mice (n=5 to 7) were fed diets containing 1 percent Cur or 0.02 percent Lim combined with either omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) [5 percent corn oil (CO)] or omega-3 PUFA [4 percent fish oil + 1 percent corn oil (FO)] for two weeks, followed by splenic CD4+ T-cell isolation and stimulation with ovalbumin peptide 323–339 (OVA) and antigen-presenting cells from mice fed a conventional nonpurified rodent diet. Both Cur and Lim diets suppressed (P<0.05) NF-B p65 nuclear translocation in activated CD4+ T-cells. In contrast, activator protein-1 (c-Jun) and nuclear factor of activated T-cells c1 were not affected compared with the CO control diet (no Cur or Lim). CD4+ T-cell proliferation in response to either mitogenic anti-CD3/28 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) or antigenic stimulation by OVA was also suppressed (P<0.05) by Cur as assessed. In contrast, interleukin-2 production was not directly associated with NF-B status and dietary combination with FO enhanced the suppressive effects (P<0.05) of Cur or Lim with respect to CD4+ T-cell proliferation in response to anti-CD3/28 mAb.