EFFECTS OF DIETARY MUTTON ON IMMUNE RESPONSE IN RATS

摘要

Thirty 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were allotted into two groups, which were subjected to the following treatments for a period of four weeks: feeding with the basal rat diet containing 20% protein Control-fed group, supplementation of the basal diet with 20% mutton powder to the basal diet at a final concentration of20% protein mutton-fed group. After four weeks, the rats were killed and body weights (BW), food intake and organ weight were measured, serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-t, TNF-a, IgA, IgM and C3 and C4 levels in serum and T cell subsets in blood sample were examined. The results indicated that BW of mutton-fed rats was significantly increased compared to the control group; meanwhile, IL-6, IL-10, TNKa concentrations and C3 levels in serum were significantly decreased (P<0.05), the percentages of CD3*, CD4* and CD8* T cells were extremely significantly decreased (P<0.01), but the IgM level was significantly higher (P<0.05) for mutton-fed group. Conclusion: mutton consumption may decrease the anti-inflammatory capability of body, inhibit the activity of T cells and differentiation of T subsets and decrease cytokines production. This infers that, in rats, mutton consumption inhibits T cell immunity but promotes B cell immunity.