title: Chromium(III) nanoparticles affect hormone and immune responses in heat-stressed rats.
abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of chromium nanoparticles (CrNano) on the hormone and immune responses of rats in heat stress condition. A total of 80 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four dietary treatment groups (n = 20). The first group was offered a basal diet as a control. The second, third, and fourth groups received basal diet supplemented with 150, 300, and 450 microg/kg Cr, respectively, in the form of CrNano. At the end of the 8-week trial, growth performance, food utilization, and sera concentrations of hormones, immunoglobulins, and alexins were determined. Lymphocyte proliferation activity, antibody response to injected sheep red blood cells (SRBCs), and phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages were determined by (3)H-thymidine uptake method, plaque-forming cells (PFC) assay, and ingesting chicken red blood cells test, respectively. The results indicated that rats that received CrNano exhibited no changes in growth rate and food efficiency compared to the control group. However, dietary supplementation of 150, 300, and 450 microg/kg Cr from CrNano significantly decreased serum concentrations of insulin and cortisol, increased sera levels of insulin-like growth factor I and immunoglobulin G, and enhanced the lymphoproliferative response, anti-SRBC PFC response, and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages. These results suggest that dietary supplementation of Cr as CrNano affects hormone and immune status in heat-stressed rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, No. 1838 Guangzhou Avenue North, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. lyzhasmu@126.com
authors.forename: Longying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zha
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Suxia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Haiji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Wanli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002857:Chromium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007328:Insulin; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids; D002857:Chromium; C059794:australine; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D006854:Hydrocortisone