A comparison of the effects of medium- and long-chain triglycerides on neutrophil stimulation in experimental ileitis

In ileitis, the chain length of dietary fats affects inflammation, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), but not long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), reduce intestinal damage. The mechanism of this effect has not been fully elucidated. In this work, we studied the effects of MCTs and LCTs on polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) action in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNB)-induced ileitis. Methods: Twelve-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received TNB in the ileal lumen and were then fed MCTs or LCTs for 3 days. Results: We detected no significant differences in the morphological damage between the MCT and the LCT groups. The content of interleukin (IL)-8, on the other hand, was significantly lower in the MCT group than in the LCT group, as was myeloperoxidase activity. The CD11b expression by PMNs was higher in the LCT group, but the difference was not of statistical significance. Conclusions: These findings suggested that proinflammatory activity was greater in the LCT group in comparison with the MCT group.