Phytochemicals may reduce chronic inflammation and cancer risk, in part, by modulating Tcell nuclear factor kappa B (NFB) activation. Therefore, we examined the effects of curcumin (C) and limonin (L) feeding on the NFB pathway in CD4+ Tcells. DO11.10 transgenic mice were fed diets containing 1% curcumin or 0.02% limonin, in the presence of n6 PUFA (corn oil) or with n3 PUFA (fish oil) for two weeks, followed by splenic CD4+ Tcell isolation and stimulation with OVA323339 peptide and antigen presenting cells from mice fed the conventional rodent chow. Both C and L diets suppressed (P<0.05) NFB p65 nuclear translocation in activated CD4+ Tcells. In contrast, AP1 cJun and NFATc1 were not affected relative to control (corn oil, no C or L). CD4+ Tcell proliferation in response to either mitogenic antiCD3/28 mAbs or antigenic stimulation by OVA peptide was also suppressed (P<0.05) by C as assessed by CFSE staining. In contrast, IL2 production was not directly associated with NFB status. Interestingly, dietary combination with fish oil enhanced the suppressive effects (P<0.05) of C or L with respect to CD4+ Tcell proliferation in response to antiCD3/28 mAbs. These results suggest that combination chemotherapy (fish oil + curcumin or limonin) may favorably modulate CD4+ Tcell mediated inflammation. (Supported by NIH DK71707, CA59034, CA129444, P30ES09106, and USDA 20063440217121)
