Expansion of the humoral effector cell compartment of both systemic and mucosal immune systems in a weanling murine model which duplicates critical features of human protein-energy malnutrition.
A direct comparison of systemic (spleen) and mucosal (intestine) antibody-producing systems was made in weanling male C57BL/6J mice subjected to wasting protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) by means of a low-protein protocol known to duplicate immunological and physiological features of human malnutrition. ELISA revealed low concentrations of biliary and gut lumen immunoglobulin (Ig) A in malnourished mice concomitantly with a high concentration of blood IgA. The low-protein model, therefore, exhibited fidelity to human protein-energy malnutrition in its influence on the concentrations of the mucosal Ig, IgA, in critical biological fluids. The number of IgA-, IgM- and IgG-containing cells was estimated morphometrically on a per organ basis. The low-protein protocol supported expansion in numbers of mucosal IgA-containing cells (18 x relative to a zero-time control group) and of splenic IgG-containing cells (135x), albeit an attenuated expansion in comparison with that of well-nourished control animals (132x and 571x respectively relative to zero-time controls). Up to terminal differentiation of Ig-containing cells, systemic and mucosal antibody-producing systems exhibited similarly remarkable resistance to wasting malnutrition. Epithelial transport of IgA may be an aspect of the mucosal antibody response which is particularly sensitive to PEM.
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Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Canada.
Paulino-Racine
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Woodward
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BD
D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002452:Cell Count; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007136:Immunoglobulins