Antibody formation to low-dose antigen and Plasmodium yoelii clearance by offspring of protein-depleted male and female mice.
Primary and secondary immune responses to low doses of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were investigated in well-fed first-degree offspring of three groups of protein-deficient mice (PD) and in well-fed first-degree offspring of well-fed mice (ND). The offspring of malnourished males and malnourished females had the highest level of primary anti-SRBC antibodies, followed by the offspring of well-fed males and malnourished females, which also had a significantly higher primary anti-SRBC antibody titer than the ND mice. The antibody titer to SRBC of the offspring of malnourished males and well-fed females was, however, not significantly different from that of the ND mice. Following the administration of Plasmodium yoelii, the offspring of the malnourished males and females had the highest mean percentage of parasitemia, followed by the offspring of the well-fed males and malnourished females. The offspring of malnourished males and well-fed females had a mean percentage of parasitemia very close to that of the control group. The study confirms that impaired immunocompetence caused by intrauterine protein depletion may be so permanent as to affect the next generation as well, thereby giving an immunologic profile similar to that of the undernourished mothers.
Adesina
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AA
National Institute for Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Kashap
R
R
Salimonu
L S
LS
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008288:Malaria / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010967:Plasmodium yoelii / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep
D000941:Antigens; D006388:Hemagglutinins