Docosahexaenoic acid modulates the expression of T-bet and GATA-3 transcription factors, independently of PPARα, through suppression of MAP kinase activation

The present study was conducted on CD4(+) T cells, isolated from wild type (WT) and PPARalpha(null) mice, in order to assess the mechanism of action of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 fatty acid, in the modulation of two transcription factors, i.e., T-bet and GATA-3, implicated in T-cell differentiation towards, respectively, T(H)1 and T(H)2 phenotype. The T-cells from PPARalpha(null) mice secreted higher IFN-gamma and lower IL-4 concentrations than WT T-cells. Furthermore, the deletion of PPARalpha gene in T-cells resulted in the upregulation of T-bet and downregulation of GATA-3 both at mRNA and protein levels. DHA exerted not only an inhibitory effect on T-cell proliferation, but also…