QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Spach, C. Articles by Aschkenasy, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Spach, C. Articles by Aschkenasy, A.

Effects of a Protein-Free Diet on the Changes in Cyclic AMP and Cyclic GMP Levels Induced by Immunization in Splenic T and B Lymphocytes in the Rat

Laboratoire d'Hématologie Nutritionnelle, Centre Marcel Delépine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 45045 Orléans Cédex, France

The levels of cyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP, were determined in splenic lymphocytes of normally fed (N) and protein deprived (PD) rats before and at different time intervals after a single injection of sheep erythrocytes. Assays were performed with protein binding methods on unseparated as well as on T and B cells fractionated by filtration through nylon wool. The cAMP levels increased in unfractionated cells and in T and B lymphocytes 2 hours following immunization of N rats. Another rise in cAMP levels occurred after 3 days in B lymphocytes, but there was also a simultaneous increase of the cGMP levels in preparations of unfractionated cells and in B lymphocytes. The PD diet suppressed or delayed most of the aforementioned changes. Thus, the immunodepressive effect of such a diet may be ascribed to the inhibition of both the early signal (increase of cAMP levels and of cAMP/cGMP ratio) leading to T and B differentiation and the later signal (increase of cGMP levels) which initiates antibody production.

KEY WORDS: • cAMP • cGMP • immunization • protein deficiency • T and B lymphocytes

Manuscript received 27 November 1978.