[Effect of zinc on immune function in mice spleen lymphocytes]

Abstract

Objective: In order to study the effects of different levels of zinc nutrition status on the immune function of mice spleen lymphocytes.

Methods: The experiment included two periods: zinc depleted period and repletion period. In the depleted period, mice were divided into 3 dose groups: zinc deficient group (ZD, 5.2mg/kg), zinc pair-fed group (PZ) and normal zinc group (NZ, 25.6 mg/kg). In the repletion period, mice were divided into 3 dose groups: ZD group, DZ-NZ group and PZ-NZ group. It was measured some biomarkers of immunity to assess the zinc nutritional status, including lymphocytes amount, lymphocytes proliferation index and IL-2 activity.

Results: The lymphocytes counts of ZD group spleen showed significant decline at seventy days fed zinc deficiency diets. The counts of ZD-NZ group were increased after 22 days of taking normal zinc diet. Zinc deficiency could suppressed the proliferation of the spleen lymphocytes. The spleen lymphocytes proliferation of the ZD-NZ group showed a moderate but non-significant increase compared with the ZD group. Zinc deficiency could decrease IL-2 production. The production of IL-2 of ZD group was lower than those of ZP (P < 0.05), IL-2 production increased following zinc supplement.

Conclusion: It is found that zinc status can affect the immune function. Production of IL-2 in spleen lymphocyte is affected evidently by zinc.