title: Elevated blood interleukin-10 levels and undiminished systemic interleukin-10 production rate prevail throughout acute protein-energy malnutrition in the weanling mouse.
abstract: The objectives were to determine if blood IL-10 levels rise during the early stages of acute (wasting) pre-pubescent malnutrition in metabolically distinct murine models known to depress inflammatory immune competence and whether systemic IL-10 production is affected in these pathologies. Weanling C57BL/6J mice were assigned to dietary protocols that elicited wasting pathologies mimicking the human diseases of marasmus (restricted-intake group) or incipient kwashiorkor (low-protein group). An age-matched control group also was included. Serum IL-10 bioactivities were assessed in the early (day 3) and advanced (day 14) stages of weight loss, and net systemic IL-10 production was assessed at the same stages of pathology by in vivo cytokine capture. Blood IL-10 levels were elevated in both malnourished groups relative to controls at days 3 and 14 (range of P values: 0.03-0.0001). Further, despite a limited supply of energy and nitrogenous substrates, the systemic IL-10 production rate was at least sustained in the malnourished groups and, in fact, was elevated in the marasmic group (P=0.05) throughout the progression of weight loss. IL-10 emerges as an anti-inflammatory mediator positioned to participate in initiating and upholding the depressed immune competence that accompanies acute pre-pubescent deficits of protein and energy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Monk
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Woodward
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014886:Weaning; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10