Anti-inflammatory Soy Lecithin

Research Article
Soy lecithin supplementation alters macrophage phagocytosis and
lymphocyte response to concanavalin A: a study in alloxan-induced
diabetic rats
Dalva T. S. Z. Miranda 1, Vanessa G. Batista 1, Fernanda C. C. Grando
1, Fernanda M. Paula 1, Caroline A. Felício 1, Gabriella F. S. Rubbo
1, Luiz C. Fernandes 1, Rui Curi 2, Anita Nishiyama 1 *
1Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba,
PR, Brazil
2Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Universidade de São Paulo,
SP, Brazil

email: Anita Nishiyama (anita.ni...@ufpr.br)

*Correspondence to Anita Nishiyama, Department of Physiology,
Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.

Abstract
Dietary soy lecithin supplementation decreases hyperlipidemia and
influences lipid metabolism.
Although this product is used by diabetic patients, there are no data
about the effect of soy lecithin supplementation on the immune
system.
The addition of phosphatidylcholine, the main component of lecithin,
to a culture of lymphocytes has been reported to alter their
function.
If phosphatidylcholine changes lymphocyte functions in vitro as
previously shown, then it could also affect immune cells in vivo.
In the present study, the effect of dietary soy lecithin on macrophage
phagocytic capacity and on lymphocyte number in response to
concanavalin A (ConA) stimulation was investigated in non-diabetic and
alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Supplementation was carried out daily
with 2 g kg-1 b.w. lecithin during 7 days.
After that, blood was drawn from fasting rats and peritoneal
macrophages and mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes were collected to
determine the phospholipid content.
Plasma triacylglycerol (TAG), total and HDL cholesterol and glucose
levels were also determined. Lymphocytes were stimulated by ConA. The
MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) dye
reduction method and flow cytometry were employed to evaluate
lymphocyte metabolism and cell number, respectively.
Soy lecithin supplementation significantly increased both macrophage
phagocytic capacity (+29%) in non-diabetic rats and the lymphocyte
number in diabetic rats (+92%).
It is unlikely that plasma lipid levels indirectly affect immune
cells, since plasma cholesterol, TAG, or phospholipid content was not
modified by lecithin supplementation.
In conclusion, lymphocyte and macrophage function were altered by
lecithin supplementation, indicating an immunomodulatory effect of
phosphatidylcholine.

Funded by:
CNPQ; Grant Number: 473412/2003-9

Keywords
dietary supplements • phosphatidylcholines • macrophages • lymphocytes
• diabetes mellitus
Received: 4 June 2008; Revised: 26 August 2008; Accepted: 3 September
2008
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1002/cbf.1517 About DOI
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.