title: Influences of nutrition on immunity and susceptibility to mouse hepatitis virus type 2.
abstract: Resistance to mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) in C3H mice is a genetic trait which appears 3-4 weeks after birth. However, when these animals were weaned on a low protein diet (8% casein), they remained susceptible to MHV-2 infection until they reached 8-9 weeks of age. During this period, the protein-restricted C3H mice were as susceptible to MHV-2 as the genetically susceptible congenic C3Hss strain. The delay in the emergence of resistance in the protein-restricted mice could be corrected by injecting these animals with spleen cells from 6-week-old C3H mice. Thymocytes from normal C3H mice, and splenocytes and thymocytes from protein-restricted C3H mice, were not protective. However, spleen cells from the protein-restricted mice were more responsive to phytohaemagglutinin, lipopolysaccharide and concanavalin A than spleen cells from normal C3H. The enhanced lymphoproliferative response in spleen cells from protein-restricted mice was abrogated by the addition of plastic-adherent cells obtained from normal C3H spleens. Spleen cells from protein-restricted and from genetically susceptible C3Hss mice also possessed more spontaneous cytotoxicity against MHV-infected 3T3 fibroblasts.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Esa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reissig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008934:Mitogens