leukotriene-b4 and Malnutrition

We investigated the effect of intrauterine undernourishment on some features of asthma using a model of allergic lung inflammation in rats. The effects of age at which the rats were challenged (5 and 9 wk) were also evaluated.. Intrauterine undernourished offspring were obtained from dams that were fed 50% of the nourished diet of counterparts and were immunized at 5 and 9 wk of age. They were tested for immunoglobulin E anti-ova titers (by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis), cell count in the bronchoalveolar fluid, leukotriene concentration, airway reactivity, mucus production, and blood corticosterone and leptin concentrations 21 d after immunologic challenge.. Intrauterine undernourishment significantly reduced the antigen-specific immunoglobulin E production, inflammatory cell infiltration into airways, mucus secretion, and production of leukotrienes B(4)/C(4) in the lungs in both age groups compared with respective nourished rats. The increased reactivity to methacholine that follows antigen challenge was not affected by intrauterine undernourishment. Corticosterone levels increased with age in the undernourished rats' offspring, but not in the nourished rats' offspring. Undernourished offspring already presented high levels of corticosterone before inflammatory stimulus and were not modified by antigen challenge. Leptin levels increased with challenge in the nourished rats but not in the undernourished rats and could not be related to corticosterone levels in the undernourished rats.. Intrauterine undernourishment has a striking and age-dependent effect on the offspring, reducing lung allergic inflammation.

Topics: Age Factors; Animals; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Corticosterone; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Fetal Diseases; Immunoglobulin E; Immunohistochemistry; Leptin; Leukocytes; Leukotriene B4; Male; Malnutrition; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar

We investigated factors that may be involved in the reduced leukocyte migration observed in intrauterine undernourished rats.. Male Wistar rat offspring (8-9 wk of age) of dams fed during pregnancy with 50% less food than control dams were used to measure L-selectin expression (by flow cytometry), bone marrow cell count, blood cell count, laminin and type IV collagen in the basal membrane of venules of the spermatic fascia (by immunohistochemistry), total protein level and serum albumin, and the production of leukotriene B4 after stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-alpha and corticosterone plasma levels (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).. Hypocellularity in bone marrow and peripheral blood and reduced L-selectin expression were found in the undernourished rat offspring (UR) compared with nourished offspring (NR; P < 0.05). Type IV collagen in the basal membrane of the venules of the spermatic fascia was less in UR than in NR (P < 0.05). The total protein levels and serum albumin did not differ between the two groups. Leukotriene B4 production after stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-alpha was lower in UR (P < 0.05). These differences could not be attributed to circulating glucocorticoids levels, which were not different in the NR and UR groups.. Our data suggest that all observed differences contribute to reduced leukocyte migration in undernourishment.

Topics: Animals; Basement Membrane; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Movement; Collagen Type IV; Corticosterone; Female; Fetal Diseases; Flow Cytometry; Immunohistochemistry; Inflammation; L-Selectin; Laminin; Leukocytes; Leukotriene B4; Male; Malnutrition; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Serum Albumin