title: Protein malnutrition alters spleen cell proliferation and IL-2 and IL-10 production by affecting the STAT-1 and STAT-3 balance.
abstract: Protein malnutrition (PM) is an important public health problem that affects resistance to infection by impairing a number of physiological processes. PM induces structural changes in the lymphoid organs that affect the roles of the immune and inflammatory responses in a crucial way. The activation of different transcription factors, including signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family members, leads to the production of different cytokines, which are mediators essential to mounting adequate immune and inflammatory responses. In this study, malnourished animals presented anemia, leukopenia, and a severe reduction in spleen cellularity, with reduced numbers of most cell populations, as well as increased percentages of CD3(+) and CD4(+) cells. The proliferation rates were reduced, and cells were increasingly observed in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase; further, IL-2 production was reduced, while IL-10 production was increased. In spleen cells from malnourished animals, STAT-3 protein expression was increased, with a concomitant reduction in STAT-1 expression. Knowing that STAT-1 and STAT-3 are key transcription factors in both immunity and inflammatory pathways, these results infer, at least in part, a mechanistic pathway that affects the manner or intensity of the immune response in malnourished individuals, increasing susceptibility to infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandra Siqueira
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.forename: Dalila Cunha
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bizzarro
authors.forename: Anderson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sá-Nunes
authors.forename: Araceli Aparecida
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hastreiter
authors.forename: Jackeline Soares de Oliveira
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Beltran
authors.forename: José Guilherme
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Primavera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borelli
authors.forename: Ricardo Ambrósio
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; C556062:IL10 protein, mouse; D007376:Interleukin-2; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D016753:Interleukin-10