Vegetable omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids differentially modulate the antiviral and antibacterial immune responses of Atlantic salmon

This study explored how the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio in low-fish oil aquafeeds influences Atlantic salmon's antiviral and antibacterial immune responses. Atlantic salmon were fed aquafeeds rich in soy oil (high in omega-6) or linseed oil (high in omega-3) for 12 weeks and then challenged with bacterial (formalin-killed Aeromonas salmonicida; Asal) or viral-like (polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid; pIC) antigens. The mRNA levels of 46 immune-relevant genes in the head kidneys of the salmon were analyzed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RT-qPCR profiling. Total RNA samples from Atlantic salmon fed two different experimental diets, intraperitoneally injected with either phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), a bacterin (Asal), or a viral mimic (pIC), and sampled at 6 and 24 h post-injection.