title: Hypothalamic GABA-ergic activity and T-cell proliferation in aged mammal: effect of dietary protein.
abstract: Short-term supplementation of low protein diet (LPD) or high protein diet (HPD) to the aged (18 months old) rats did not change the hypothalamic GABAergic activity and immune response. Long-term supplementation of LPD on the other hand, enhanced hypothalamic GABAergic activity with an immunopotentiation by increasing the T-cell proliferating activity and peripheral blood lymphocyte count in the same age group of rats. Unlike LPD, HPD under long-term supplementation to the aged rats reduced the hypothalamic GABAergic activity with immunosuppression. These results thus suggest that (i) hypothalamic GABAergic activity is a regulatory index of immune response in aged mammals and (ii) long-term consumption of protein-poor or protein-rich diet may be an exogenous modulator of neuroimmune regulation in relation to central GABAergic activity and immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University College of Science, University of Calcutta, India.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyay
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Poddar
mesh_terms: D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase