title: Modulation of age-related changes in immune functions of protein-deficient senescence-accelerated mice by dietary nucleoside-nucleotide mixture supplementation.
abstract: In the present study we examined the immune-enhancing effect of a nucleoside-nucleotide mixture on the non-specific T-cell immune functions of senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) fed on a low-protein diet. The immune functions studied were in vitro thymic and splenic cell lymphoproliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin, lipopolysaccharide and concanavalin A and their production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) in response to mitogen stimulation. SAMP8 mice aged 3 and 6 months were used. In each age group, mice were fed on diets containing either 50 g casein/kg, 50 g casein/kg supplemented with 5 g nucleoside-nucleotide mixture/kg or 200 g casein/kg for 3 weeks. The supplemented 3- and 6-month-old mice had higher (P < 0.05) thymic and splenic cell counts compared with the low-protein group. In both age groups of mice, concanavalin A induced higher (P < 0.05) total thymic and splenic lymphoproliferative responses for the nucleoside-nucleotide mixture-supplemented group compared with the 50 g casein/kg dietary groups. Thymic and splenic production of IL-2 was higher for the 3-month-old mice in both the supplemented and the 200 g casein/kg dietary groups. INF-gamma production in the supplemented 3-month-old group and the 6-month-old 200 g casein/kg dietary group was higher (P < 0.05) compared with the other groups. Overall the supplemented 3-month-old mice exhibited both higher lymphoproliferative responses and production of cytokines compared with the supplemented 6-month-old mice. The results indicate that early nucleoside-nucleotide mixture supplementation may enhance the immune response in protein-deprived SAMP8 mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ameho
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adjei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kulkarni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002455:Cell Division; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D006027:Glycosides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D006027:Glycosides; D007376:Interleukin-2; D009705:Nucleosides; D009711:Nucleotides; D003208:Concanavalin A; D007371:Interferon-gamma