Effect of dietary nucleotides on immune function in Balb/C mice

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of dietary nucleotides (NTs) on immune function in female Balb/C mice, which randomly distributed into six groups: one control group, one NF-free (NF) control group and four NT groups. NTs ranged from 0.0025% to 0.64%. Compared with the control group, the NF could significantly weaken the activity of T lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as decreased the activity of B lymphocytes and NK cell. NF significantly decreased the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+), whereas, it increased Tr percentage. In comparison with the NF group, the concentration of serum IL-2 and IL-4 showed an increase trend. Meanwhile, the granular cell macrophages colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) increased significantly in the 0.04% NT group. The ratio of Th1/Th2 also showed an increasing trend after the supplements of NTs. There were no significant differences between the control and 0.04% NT group. Nevertheless, no significant differences in weight gain and lymphoid organ indices were observed in our study. These results indicate that NT supplements can prevent hypoimmunity which result from NF diet. 0.04% NTs is the healthy optimal supply proportion in mice diet.

Keywords: APC; Allophycocyanin; Antigen-presentation cell; CBA; CD; Cluster of differentiation; Con A; Concanavalin A; Cytokines; Cytometric bead array; DTH; Delayed-type hypersensitivity; Dietary nucleotide; ELISA; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays; FITC; Fluorescein isothiocyanate; GM-CSF; Granular cell macrophages-colony stimulating factor; Help T cell; IFN; IL; Ig; Immunoglobulin; Immunomodulatory; Interferon; Interleukin; KLH; Keyhole limpet hemocyanin; LPS; Lipopolysaccharide; MTT; Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium; Mice; NF; NK; NTs; Natural killer cell; Nucleotides; Nuctileotide free; PBS; PE; PHA; Phosphate buffer; Phycoerythrin; Phytohemagglutinin; Regulatory T cell; SDS; SRBC; Sheep red blood cell; Sodium dodecyl sulphate; T subpopulation; TNF; Th; Tr; Tumor necrosis factor.