Effects of purified soybean agglutinin on growth and immune function in rats.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of purified soybean agglutinin on growth and immune function in rats. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (77.8 +/- 2.6 g) were individually fed casein-cornstarch based diets containing 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 or 0.20% soybean agglutinin (w/w) during a 20-day experiment. Growth declined linearly with increasing the concentration of soybean agglutinin (p < 0.05). The proliferation of lymphocytes in spleen, lymph nodes and blood decreased with an increase in dietary soybean agglutinin (p < 0.05). The concentrations of interleukin-2, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in plasma, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes as well as plasma concentrations of IgA, IgG and IgM also declined with increasing dose of soybean agglutinin (p < 0.05). The results show that dietary soybean agglutinin has negative effects on growth as well as both cell-mediated and humoral immune function of rats and appears to function in a dose-dependent manner.
Tang
Shusheng
S
National Key Lab of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing.
Li
Defa
D
Qiao
Shiyan
S
Piao
Xiangshu
X
Zang
Jianjun
J
D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009753:Nutritive Value; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins
D016207:Cytokines; D037121:Plant Lectins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C028824:soybean lectin; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins