Direct evidence that primary acquired cell-mediated immunity is less resistant than is primary thymus-dependent humoral immunity to the depressive influence of wasting protein-energy malnutrition in weanling mice.
Wasting protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) was induced in male C57BL/6J mice fed a low-protein diet ad libitum from 23 to 37 d of age. In comparison with a complete diet, the low-protein formulation reduced delayed hypersensitivity to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) assessed on day 14 of feeding by measuring increased footpad thickness (mean +/- SD: 4 +/- 4% vs 22 +/- 8%, P less than 0.01), after immunization on day 9, and after challenge with SRBCs on day 13. By contrast, the low-protein diet did not affect the anti-SRBC hemagglutinin titer (8.3 +/- 2.2 vs 9.1 +/- 1.1, P greater than 0.30) despite profound reduction in numbers of splenic plasma cells secreting IgM-class anti-SRBCs (7.3 +/- 3.1 vs 49.9 +/- 23.8 x 10(-3), P less than 0.001), after immunization on day 9 and assessment on day 14. Thus, direct experimental evidence, previously altogether lacking, is provided in support of the concept, central to nutritional immunology, that acquired cell-mediated immunity is less resistant than is systemic humoral immunity to the depressive influence of pre-adolescent, wasting PEM.
Woodward
B D
BD
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario.
Woods
J W
JW
Crouch
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D007110:Immunity, Active; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology