Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T19:41:31.784Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dietary repletion can replenish reduced T cell subset numbers and lymphoid organ weight in zinc-deficient and energy-restricted rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Heather J. Hosea ,
Edward S. Rector  and
Carla G. Taylor
Heather J. Hosea
Affiliation:
Departments of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N2, Canada
Edward S. Rector
Affiliation:
Departments of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N2, Canada
Carla G. Taylor*
Affiliation:
Departments of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. R3T 2N2, Canada
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Carla G. Taylor, fax +1 204 474 8079, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the time course for recovery of lymphoid tissue and T cell subset numbers when Zn-deficient (ZD) or energy-restricted (ER) rats were repleted with control diet; in a second experiment, the link between the stress axis and lymphoid organs was explored. During the deficiency phase, rats were fed a ZD (<1 mg Zn/kg) or control diet (30 mg Zn/kg, nutritionally complete) either as pair-fed controls (ER) or ad libitum-fed controls (CTL) for 3 weeks. During the repletion phase, all rats were fed control diet ad libitum for 3, 7 or 23 d. After the deficiency phase, ZD and ER had lower T cell subset numbers in the thymus compared with CTL, and ZD had reduced T cell subset numbers in the spleen compared with both ER and CTL. T cell subset numbers and lymphoid organ weights recovered from dietary Zn deficiency and energy restriction by 7 d of repletion (except 23 d for thymus weight in ZD), while body weight required more than 23 d for recovery. At the end of the deficiency phase, ZD and ER had higher circulating corticosterone concentrations compared with CTL; plasma TNFα was not detectable and there were no differences in plasma haptoglobin, an acute-phase protein. In conclusion, Zn deficiency and energy restriction elevated circulating corticosterone and reduced T cell subset numbers in the thymus and spleen of growing rats. Repletion with a nutritionally complete diet allowed recovery of T cell subset numbers and lymphoid organ weight.

Keywords

T cell subsetsZinc deficiencyEnergy restrictionRepletionRats
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 91 , Issue 5 , May 2004 , pp. 741 - 747
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

References

Bises, G, Mengheri, E & Gaetani, S, (1987) T-lymphocyte subsets in zinc deficient and in protein malnourished rats. Nutr Rep Int 36, 1371–1378.Google Scholar
Briefel, RR, Bialostosky, K, Kennedy-Stephenson, J, McDowell, MA, Ervin, RB & Wright, JD (2000) Zinc intake of the US population: Findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994. J Nutr 130, 1367S–1373S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook-Mills, JM & Fraker, PJ (1993) Functional capacity of residual lymphocytes from zinc deficient adult mice. Br J Nutr 69, 835–848.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DePasquale-Jardieu, P & Fraker, PJ (1979) The role of corticosterone in the loss in immune function in the zinc-deficient A/J mouse. J Nutr 109, 1847–1855.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraker, PJ, DePasquale-Jardieu, P, Zwickl, CM & Luecke, RW, (1978) Regeneration of T-cell helper function in zinc-deficient adult mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75, 5660–5664.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraker, PJ, Haas, SM & Luecke, RW (1977) Effect of zinc deficiency on the immune response of the young adult A/J mouse. J Nutr 107, 1889–1895.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraker, PJ, King, LE, Laakko, T & Vollmer, TL (2000) The dynamic link between the integrity of the immune system and zinc status. J Nutr 130, 1399S–1406S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraker, PJ, Osati-Ahtiani, F, Wagner, MA & King, LE (1995) Possible roles for glucocorticoids and apoptosis in the suppression of lymphopoiesis during zinc deficiency: A review. J Am Coll Nutr 14, 11–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraker, PJ, Zwickl, CM & Luecke, RW (1982) Delayed type hypersensitivity in zinc deficient adult mice: Impairment and restoration of responsivity to dinitrofluorobenzene. J Nutr 112, 309–313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Giugliano, R & Millward, DJ (1984) Growth and zinc homeostasis in the severely Zn-deficient rat. Br J Nutr 52, 545–560.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hosea, HJ, Rector, ES & Taylor, CG (2003) Zinc-deficient rats have fewer recent thymic emigrant (CD90 + ) T lymphocytes in spleen and blood. J Nutr 133, 4239–4242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, FM & Cidlowski, JA (1998) Glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis: Protease-dependent activation of cell shrinkage and DNA degradation. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 65, 207–217.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, LE, Osati-Ashtiani, F & Fraker, PJ (2002) Apoptosis plays a distinct role in the loss of precursor lymphocytes during zinc deficiency in mic. J Nutr 132, 974–979.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lepage, LM, Giesbrecht, JC & Taylor, CG (1999) Expression of T lymphocyte p56lck, a zinc-finger signal transduction protein, is elevated by dietary zinc deficiency and diet restriction in mice. J Nutr 129, 620–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, JB, Blanchard, RK, McCormack, WT & Cousins, RJ (2001) cDNA array analysis identifies thymic LCK as upregulated in moderate murine zinc deficiency before T-lymphocytes population changes. J Nutr 131, 3189–3196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nobili, F, Vignolini, G, Figus, E & Mengheri, E (1997) Treatment of rats with dexamethasone or thyroxine reverses zinc deficiency-induced intestinal damage. J Nutr 127, 1807–1813.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharon, J (1998) Basic Immunology. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar
Shipp, K & Woodward, BD (1998) A simple exsanguinations method that minimizes acute pre-anesthesia stress in the mouse: Evidence based on serum cortiocosterone concentrations. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci 37, 73–77.Google Scholar
Steel, DM & Whitehead, AS (1994) The major acute phase reactants: C-reactive protein, serum amyloid P component and serum amyloid A protein. Immunol Today 15, 81–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, CG, Potter, AJ & Rabinovitch, PS (1997) Splenocyte glutathione and CD3-mediated cell proliferation are reduced in mice fed a protein-deficient diet. J Nutr 127, 44–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Woodward, BD (1998) Protein, calories, and immune defences. Nutr Rev 56, S84–S92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodward, BD (2003) Apoptotic loss of thymic lymphocytes in acute murine zinc deficiency (letter). J Nutr 133 814.CrossRefGoogle Scholar