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Long‐term calorie restriction does not protect mice against a secondary infection with the parasitic nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri
Author(s) -
Acosta Wendy,
Kristan Deborah M
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.1239.34
Subject(s) - immune system , biology , parasitic infection , nematode , pathogen , reproduction , immunology , larva , nematode infection , host (biology) , chronic infection , ecology
Benefits of long‐term calorie restriction (CR) include increased lifespan and enhanced immune function which should protect against pathogen infection. Most studies use antigen or mitogen stimulation and it is unknown if long‐term CR protects against an intact pathogen infection. The objective of our study was to examine if long‐term CR would change host susceptibility to a secondary infection with the nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri . Two dietary groups of C57BL/6 mice were used. One group was fed ad libitum (AL) while the CR group was fed 60% of AL. After 8 months, mice received a primary infection of 125 H. bakeri larvae. This first infection was cleared with an anti‐helminth drug and then a secondary infection of 300 larvae was given. Sixteen days post‐secondary infection, immune response, infection intensity, and worm reproduction were measured. CR mice had similar infection intensity as AL fed mice despite having increased CD4+ T‐cell numbers. Worm length and reproduction were similar for worms taken from all mice. Long‐term CR yielded the predicted increase in immune system function, but this response was not sufficient to reduce infection intensity or to affect worm growth and reproduction.