title: Reduced thymic size and numbers of splenic CD4+ and CD8+ cells in artificially reared mouse pups.
abstract: The effect of early nutrition on the development of the immune tissue and T cells of mouse pups was examined. Newborn mice were divided into three experimental groups: mother-reared (MR) pups, pups that were fed on a milk substitute from the first day (AR-0), and the third day (AR-2), using a hand-feeding system. The average thymic size of the AR-2 pups was respectively significantly larger and smaller than that of the AR-0 and MR pups. In contrast, the splenic sizes of the AR-0 and AR-2 pups were greater than that of the MR pups. The numbers of CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ cells in the spleen of the MR pups were significantly higher than those in the AR-0 pups. These results indicate that early nutrition affected the sizes of the thymus and spleen and the composition of CD4+CD8- or CD4-CD8+ T cells in the spleen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Lactic Acid Bacteria, Food Science Institute, Division of Research and Development, Meiji Dairies Corporation, Japan. yajimama@cris.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoshiba
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terahara
authors.forename: Takaji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yajima
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008892:Milk / Q000502:physiology*; D009929:Organ Size; D011897:Random Allocation; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development*