I. Depressed immunological function in zinc-deprived rats as measured by mitogen response of spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood.
The in vitro responses of splenic, thymic, and peripheral blood lymphocytes to two T-cell mitogens (phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A) and one B-cell mitogen (pokeweed mitogen) were investigated in zinc-deprived and pair-fed control rats. The responses to phytohemagglutinin of splenic, thymic, and peripheral blood lymphocytes from zinc-deprived animals were depressed by at least 50% in comparison with those of controls, and the difference between the two groups was significant for each tissue (P = 0.05). The responses to concanavalin A of splenic and peripheral blood lymphocytes were suppressed in zinc-deprived animals, and splenic and thymic responses to pokeweed mitogen were depressed by about 50% in comparison with those of controls; these results were significant at the P = 0.05 level. This study is the first to evaluate the effects of diet-induced zinc deprivation on lymphocyte transformation and immune function in rats.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
D008934:Mitogens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A; D015032:Zinc