retinol-palmitate and Acquired-Immunodeficiency-Syndrome

Infection by LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV) produces an AIDS-like condition in mice. The viral infection suppressed the percentage of peripheral blood cells showing surface markers for macrophages, activated macrophages, T lymphocytes and activated lymphoid cells. High dietary vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) caused increased numbers of activated macrophages. It also increased the percentage of cells with markers for Ia+ cells and macrophages in the retrovirally infected mice compared to infected controls. In uninfected mice retinyl palmitate stimulated the percentage of cells with activated lymphocytes bearing IL-2R, and T cytotoxic cells. These were associated with a retarded death rate during infection with LP-BM5 murine leukemia in C57BL/6 mice. By 25 weeks of infection and 20 weeks of retinyl palmitate supplementation 71.3% survived, while 45.0% virally infected controls survived. The mice also had elevated numbers of B cells measured in the blood after 4 and 8 weeks of dietary treatment. Vitamin A stimulation may play a role in the slower death rate for retrovirally infected mice.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Animals; B-Lymphocytes; Disease Models, Animal; Diterpenes; Female; Leukemia Virus, Murine; Leukemia, Experimental; Leukocyte Count; Macrophage Activation; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Retinyl Esters; T-Lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Vitamin A