[Effect of compound nutrients on acute immobilization and cold water-immersion stress-induced changes of Th1/Th2 cytokines].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of compound nutrients on Th1/Th2 imbalance caused by changes in cytokines of Th cell subsets,  interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and TNF-α,  in rats with acute immobilization and cold water-immersion stress.


METHODS
Male SD rats were randomly assigned to three groups including normal control group (C),  acute stress group (S) and acute stress+compound nutrients group (S+CN). Stress procedure was the acute immobilization and cold water-immersion. The stress rats were fed water (Group S) or compound nutrient liquid (Group S+CN) by a feeding needle 1 week before acute stress,  and then restrained and immersed in cold water for 30 min. The control rats were given water in the same way without stress stimulation. The rats were killed and blood samples were collected 0,  30,  60 and 120 min after stress,  respectively. Serum was separated by centrifugation and stored at -70 DegreesCelsius until assayed. The serum levels of IL-2,  IL-6 and TNF-α were analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.


RESULTS
Acute immobilization and cold water-immersion stress reduced IL-2 level,  and increased IL-6 and TNF-α level at different time points (0,  30,  60 and 120 min) after stress,  which was most obvious at 30 min. Oral administration (gavage) of compound nutrients was found to moderate the acute immobilization and cold water-immersion stress-induced changes in serum IL-2,  IL-6 and TNF-α,  which was also most significant at 30 min after stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Complex nutrients can significantly alleviate the changes of Th1/Th2 cytokines in stress rats,  including IL-2,  IL-6 and TNF-α,  which suggests that compound nutrients can improve the immune regulation function of stress rats and restore Th1/Th2 balance. Compound nutrients might enhance the body's anti-stress ability and lighten the stress-related damage,  thus being a possible candidate for the therapeutic modulation of stress.
Department of Physiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. yaliliu@fmmu.edu.cn
Ya-li
YL
Liu
Hui
H
Bi
Rong
R
Fan
Yu-heng
YH
Li
Yue-min
YM
Wang
Yao-ming
YM
Chen
Jing-yuan
JY
Chen
Su-min
SM
Chi
Jian-ming
JM
Pei
D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha