Effects of dietary conjugated linoleic acid on lymphocyte function and growth of mammary tumors in mice

We studied the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on lymphocyte function and growth of a transplantable murine mammary tumor. In experiment 1, eight-wk-old female Balb/c mice (n = 8/group) were fed 0.1%, 0.3% or 0.9% CLA for 3 or 6 wk. Lymphocyte proliferation, interleukin-2 production and lymphocyte cytotoxicity were assessed using splenic lymphocytes. Plasma CLA concentrations increased in a dose-dependent manner with CLA feeding. Lymphocyte proliferation in mice fed 0.3% and 0.9% CLA was enhanced in phytohemagglutinin-induced but not in concanavalin A- or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cultures. Production of IL-2 also was stimulated by CLA. In contrast, CLA had no effect on lymphocyte cytotoxicity. In experiment 2, mice (n = 20/treatment) were fed the same diets for 2 wk before being infused with 1 x 10(6) WAZ-2T metastatic mammary tumor cells into the light inguinal mammary gland. Tumor volume and latency were recorded for 45 d. Dietary CLA did not affect mammary tumor growth. Tumor latency, tumor incidence and tumor lipid peroxidation activity also were unaffected by CLA. Body weight and feed intake were similar among treatments. Therefore, dietary CLA modulated certain aspects of the immune defense but had no obvious effect on the growth of an established, aggressive mammary tumor.