(Press-News.org) Fish oil rich in DHA and EPA is widely believed to help prevent disease by reducing inflammation, but until now, scientists were not entirely sure about its immune enhancing effects. A new report appearing in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, helps provide clarity on this by showing that DHA-rich fish oil enhances B cell activity, a white blood cell, challenging the notion that fish oil is only immunosuppressive. This discovery is important as it shows that fish oil does not necessarily reduce the overall immune response to lower inflammation, possibly opening the doors for the use of fish oil among those with compromised immune systems.
"Fish oil may have immune enhancing properties that could benefit immunocompromised individuals," said Jenifer Fenton, Ph.D., M.P.H., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.
To make this discovery, researchers used two groups of mice. One group was fed a control diet, and the other was fed a diet supplemented with DHA-rich fish oil for five weeks. B cells were harvested from several tissues and then stimulated in culture. Researchers then looked for markers of B cell activation on the cell surface, B cell membrane changes, and B cell cytokine production. They found that DHA-enriched fish oil enhanced B cell activation and select antibody production, which may actually aid immune responses associated with pathogen clearance, while possibly dampening the totality of the inflammatory response.
"This work confirms similar findings on fish oil and B cells from our lab, and moves us one step closer to understanding the immune enhancing properties of EPA and DHA," said S. Raza Shaikh, Ph.D., a researcher also involved in the work from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at East Carolina University.
###
The Journal of Leukocyte Biology publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on original investigations focusing on the cellular and molecular biology of leukocytes and on the origins, the developmental biology, biochemistry and functions of granulocytes, lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes and other cells involved in host defense and inflammation. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology is published by the Society for Leukocyte Biology.
Details: Eric A. Gurzell, Heather Teague, Mitchel Harris, Jonathan Clinthorne, Saame Raza Shaikh, and Jenifer I. Fenton. DHA-enriched fish oil targets B cell lipid microdomains and enhances in vivo and ex vivo B cell function. J Leukoc Biol April 2013 93:463-470; doi:10.1189/jlb.0812394; http://www.jleukbio.org/content/93/4/463.abstract
Nothing fishy about it: Fish oil can boost the immune system
New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that instead of suppressing the body's immune response, fish oil actually enhances the function of B cells
2013-04-01
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Unique group for single fathers due to cancer offers support
2013-04-01
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Men who have dependent children and whose spouses or partners died from cancer are an overlooked population. These fathers face unique challenges not addressed by traditional grief support groups that often attract an older, female population.
Faculty in the UNC Department of Psychiatry report on a successful pilot peer support program called "Single Fathers Due to Cancer" they created to help these men. The program is the first of its kind in the United States.
They describe the program's development so that other institutions may develop similar ...
Researchers find link between blood clotting, immune response
2013-04-01
Rice University researchers have found an unexpected link between a protein that triggers the formation of blood clots and other proteins that are essential for the body's immune system. The find could lead to new treatments for thousands of patients who suffer from inflammatory diseases and disorders that cause abnormal blood clotting.
The research is available online in the journal PLOS ONE.
"This link opens the door for studying severe, debilitating inflammatory disorders where the disease mechanism is still poorly understood, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ...
Early COPD diagnosis possible with nuclear medicine
2013-04-01
Reston, Va. (April 1, 2013) – In vivo ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) imaging can detect early changes to the lung caused by cigarette smoke exposure and provides a noninvasive method for studying lung dysfunction in preclinical models, according to research published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. These measures have the potential to be applied clinically to study and diagnose the early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD is a slow-progressing, debilitating lung disease which is commonly caused by cigarette smoking. Defining ...
Hospitals measure up for Medicare reimbursement
2013-04-01
CHICAGO --- For-profit hospitals are out-performing other hospitals when treating stroke, heart attack and pneumonia patients in emergency departments and, thus, will be more likely to receive bonuses under Medicare's new payment rules, according to a new Northwestern Medicine® study.
Though nonprofit and public hospitals are lagging behind in performance, many are making noticeable improvements and also many will be eligible for bonuses, too.
The findings give an early look at how hospitals are measuring up under the new, mandatory Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing ...
Can meditation make you a more compassionate person?
2013-04-01
Scientists have mostly focused on the benefits of meditation for the brain and the body, but a recent study by Northeastern University's David DeSteno, published in Psychological Science, takes a look at what impacts meditation has on interpersonal harmony and compassion.
Several religious traditions have suggested that mediation does just that, but there has been no scientific proof—until now.
In this study, a team of researchers from Northeastern University and Harvard University examined the effects meditation would have on compassion and virtuous behavior, and ...
Shedding light on early Parkinson's disease pathology
2013-04-01
Amsterdam, NL, April 1, 2013 – In a mouse model of early Parkinson's disease (PD), animals displayed movement deficits, loss of tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH)-positive fibers in the striatum, and astro-gliosis and micro-gliosis in the substantia nigra (SN), without the loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings, which may cast light on the molecular processes involved in the initial stages of PD, are available in the current issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
"The most intriguing finding of our study was the lack of a significant decrease of TH levels ...
Over-diagnosis of reflux in infants leads to needless medication
2013-04-01
Ann Arbor, Mich. — Medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are some of the most widely used medications in children less than one year old.
But in a new study, researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri concluded that physicians often label common symptoms in infants, such as crying and spitting up, as disease. Frequent use of the GERD label can lead to overuse of medication, according to study published today online ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.
The study found that doctors' use of the label GERD ...
Soils in newly forested areas store substantial carbon that could help offset climate change
2013-04-01
ANN ARBOR—Surface appearances can be so misleading: In most forests, the amount of carbon held in soils is substantially greater than the amount contained in the trees themselves.
If you're a land manager trying to assess the potential of forests to offset carbon emissions and climate change by soaking up atmospheric carbon and storing it, what's going on beneath the surface is critical.
But while scientists can precisely measure and predict the amount of above-ground carbon accumulating in a forest, the details of soil-carbon accounting have been a bit fuzzy.
Two ...
Sorting out the structure of a Parkinson's protein
2013-04-01
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Clumps of proteins that accumulate in brain cells are a hallmark of neurological diseases such as dementia, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Over the past several years, there has been much controversy over the structure of one of those proteins, known as alpha synuclein.
MIT computational scientists have now modeled the structure of that protein, most commonly associated with Parkinson's, and found that it can take on either of two proposed states — floppy or rigid. The findings suggest that forcing the protein to switch to the rigid structure, ...
University of Tennessee professor links massive prehistoric bird extinction to human colonization
2013-04-01
Research by a University of Tennessee, Knoxville professor has found that about a thousand bird species became extinct following human colonization.
Research by Alison Boyer, a research assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, and an international team studied the extinction rates of nonperching land birds in the Pacific Islands from 700 to 3,500 years ago. Some of the birds studied included birds of prey and ducks. The team uncovered the magnitude of the extinctions and insight into how and why human impacts varied across the region.
The findings are ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Father’s mental health can impact children for years
Scientists can tell healthy and cancerous cells apart by how they move
Male athletes need higher BMI to define overweight or obesity
How thoughts influence what the eyes see
Unlocking the genetic basis of adaptive evolution: study reveals complex chromosomal rearrangements in a stick insect
Research Spotlight: Using artificial intelligence to reveal the neural dynamics of human conversation
Could opioid laws help curb domestic violence? New USF research says yes
NPS Applied Math Professor Wei Kang named 2025 SIAM Fellow
Scientists identify agent of transformation in protein blobs that morph from liquid to solid
Throwing a ‘spanner in the works’ of our cells’ machinery could help fight cancer, fatty liver disease… and hair loss
Research identifies key enzyme target to fight deadly brain cancers
New study unveils volcanic history and clues to ancient life on Mars
Monell Center study identifies GLP-1 therapies as a possible treatment for rare genetic disorder Bardet-Biedl syndrome
Scientists probe the mystery of Titan’s missing deltas
Q&A: What makes an ‘accidental dictator’ in the workplace?
Lehigh University water scientist Arup K. SenGupta honored with ASCE Freese Award and Lecture
Study highlights gaps in firearm suicide prevention among women
People with medical debt five times more likely to not receive mental health care treatment
Hydronidone for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with chronic hepatitis B
Rise in claim denial rates for cancer-related advanced genetic testing
Legalizing youth-friendly cannabis edibles and extracts and adolescent cannabis use
Medical debt and forgone mental health care due to cost among adults
Colder temperatures increase gastroenteritis risk in Rohingya refugee camps
Acyclovir-induced nephrotoxicity: Protective potential of N-acetylcysteine
Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 upregulates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway to mitigate hepatocyte ferroptosis in chronic liver injury
AERA announces winners of the 2025 Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award
Mapping minds: The neural fingerprint of team flow dynamics
Patients support AI as radiologist backup in screening mammography
AACR: MD Anderson’s John Weinstein elected Fellow of the AACR Academy
Existing drug has potential for immune paralysis
[Press-News.org] Nothing fishy about it: Fish oil can boost the immune systemNew research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that instead of suppressing the body's immune response, fish oil actually enhances the function of B cells