Diabetes-prone BioBreeding rats do not have a normal immune response when weaned to a diet containing fermentable fibre.
Diet is known to modulate the development of diabetes in diabetes-prone BioBreeding (BBdp) rats. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of fermentable fibre (FF) on immune function in BBdp and diabetes-resistant BioBreeding (BBdr) rats after weaning. Weanling BBdp (thirty-six to thirty-eight per diet) and BBdr rats (thirty to thirty-two per diet) were fed a nutritionally complete, semi-purified, casein-based diet containing either cellulose (control diet, 8 % w/w) or FF (3.2 % cellulose+4.8 % w/w inulin). At 35 d, the small intestine was excised and lymphocytes isolated from spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. Feeding FF to both BBdr and BBdp rats affected the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (P=0.02). In BBdr rats, feeding FF compared with cellulose resulted in an increased small intestinal length (P=0.0031), higher proliferative (stimulation) index from both splenocytes (P=0.001) and mesenteric lymph nodes (P=0.04), and an increased proportion of CD8+ T-cells in the Peyer's patches (P=0.003). We did not observe an effect of diet on the number of IgA-bearing cells in the jejunum from BBdr rats. Feeding FF to BBdp rats did not affect the same parameters. BBdp rats had both a higher proportion of B-cells in the Peyer's patches (P=0.01) and a higher number of IgA+ cells in the jejunum (P=0.0036) when fed a diet containing FF, a response not observed in BBdr rats. We demonstrate that several aspects of the BBdp immune system respond differently than that of BBdr rats when challenged at weaning with FF.
Stillie
RoseMarie
R
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2P5.
Bell
Rhonda C
RC
Field
Catherine J
CJ
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008643:Mesentery; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014886:Weaning
D016207:Cytokines; D004043:Dietary Fiber