Hematological and immunological effects of excess dietary leucine in the young rat.
Young rats were subjected to a dietary leucine overload for several weeks. Although no significant changes in growth, food consumption, and hematological and immune responsiveness occurred when the basic diet was balanced (18% casein), rats which were both overloaded with leucine and subjected to a protein-poor diet (4% casein) displayed a strong impairment of immunological reactions to sheep red cells (rosette and plaque-forming cells in the spleen, serum hemagglutinins, and hemolysins). The effect was significantly more pronounced than in rats on a protein-poor nonsupplemented diet or in pair-fed controls on a balanced diet. The immunodepression was as profound as after complete protein deprivation. It is suggested that a secondary defect in valine and isoleucine utilization may play a role in the harmful effects of excess leucine, because isoleucine and especially valine have been shown to be highly deleterious to lymphopoiesis.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007532:Isoleucine / Q000378:metabolism; D007930:Leucine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D014633:Valine / Q000378:metabolism
D000906:Antibodies; D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007532:Isoleucine; D007930:Leucine; D014633:Valine