Stimulation of immune reactivity by methoxysubstituted glycerol ethers incorporated into the feed

• Published in: European Journal of Immunology
• Main Authors: Boeryd, B., Nilsson, T., Lindholm, L., Lange, S., Hallgren, B., Ställberg, G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1978
• Subjects: Greenland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.1830080914; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Feji.1830080914; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eji.1830080914

Abstract In mice, the plaque‐forming cell response to sheep red blood cells was stimulated by a mixture of methoxy‐substituted glycerol ethers isolated from Greenland shark liver oil and by synthetic 1‐0‐(2‐methoxyhexadecyl)‐glycerol, given in the diet. In preliminary experiments, this synthetic compound also increased the ability of parental spleen cells to induce graft‐ vs. ‐host reactions in F 1 hybrid mice. Glycerol ethers occur in the bone marrow fat of mammals and in the membrane phospholipids. It is postulated that the methoxy‐substituted glycerol ethers supplied in the diet may stimulate the bone marrow and/or may be incorporated into membrane lipids, thereby changing the structure and function of the membranes.