title: Impaired natural killer cell activity in iron-deficient rat pups.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cell activity was studied in iron-deficient rat pups. Pregnant dams were fed diets containing 6, 10 or 250 ppm Fe ad libitum from d 1 of gestation through d 21 of lactation. Two days post parturition litters were adjusted to seven pups each, and on d 17 the pups were injected intraperitoneally with 5 X 10(5) plaque-forming units of vaccinia virus. Following a 4-d incubation period, spleens were removed and the cell suspensions combined with YAC-1 target cells to measure cytolysis in a 4- and 16-h chromium release assay. Hematocrit levels of severe (6 ppm) and moderately (10 ppm) iron-deficient rat pups were significantly lower than that of controls. Similarly, body weight and spleen weights were significantly lower in iron-deficient pups than in control pups. Iron deficiency significantly impaired spleen NK cell activity when measured by two different effector:target ratios and assay time periods.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014615:Vaccinia / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron