title: Enhanced survival by vitamin A supplementation during a retrovirus infection causing murine AIDS.
abstract: Infection by LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV) produces an AIDS-like condition in mice. The viral infection suppressed the percentage of peripheral blood cells showing surface markers for macrophages, activated macrophages, T lymphocytes and activated lymphoid cells. High dietary vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) caused increased numbers of activated macrophages. It also increased the percentage of cells with markers for Ia+ cells and macrophages in the retrovirally infected mice compared to infected controls. In uninfected mice retinyl palmitate stimulated the percentage of cells with activated lymphocytes bearing IL-2R, and T cytotoxic cells. These were associated with a retarded death rate during infection with LP-BM5 murine leukemia in C57BL/6 mice. By 25 weeks of infection and 20 weeks of retinyl palmitate supplementation 71.3% survived, while 45.0% virally infected controls survived. The mice also had elevated numbers of B cells measured in the blood after 4 and 8 weeks of dietary treatment. Vitamin A stimulation may play a role in the slower death rate for retrovirally infected mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson 85724.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Yahya
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Darban
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Prabhala
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004224:Diterpenes; D005260:Female; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate