Antibacterial functions of macrophages in experimental protein-calorie malnutrition. I. Description of the model, morphologic observations, and macrophage surface IgG receptors.
An experimental protein-calorie malnutrition was produced in weanling Sprague-Dawley rats. The model resembles human malnutrition with respect to weight loss, inanition, angular stomatitis, anemia, lymphopenia, hypoproteinemia with hypoalbuminemia, and marked thymic involution. In addition, systemic invasion by gram-negative rods was documented. However, no edema was produced, and animals did not survive for longer than six weeks on the protein-deficient diet. One percent glycogen was found to be a satisfactory nonprotein stimulus for induction of a peritoneal exudate consisting primarily of young macrophages. Electron microscopy showed that morphologic events of phagocytosis and degranulation proceeded normally in macrophages from protein-deficient animals. In addition, cell surface receptors for IgG were preserved under these experimental conditions. These data indicate that weanling rats may be employed as a small animal model for servere, fulminant protein-calorie malnutrition in humans.
D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006003:Glycogen / Q000494:pharmacology; D006600:Hexosephosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell
D006600:Hexosephosphates; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D006003:Glycogen