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Arginine Enhances T‐Cell Responses in Athymic Nude Mice
Author(s) -
Kirk Stephen J.,
Regan Mark C.,
Wasserkrug Hannah L.,
Sodeyama Motohide,
Barbul Adrian
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607192016005429
Subject(s) - arginine , in vivo , concanavalin a , spleen , t cell , medicine , endocrinology , cell , nude mouse , stimulation , ratón , immunology , in vitro , biology , immune system , biochemistry , amino acid , microbiology and biotechnology
Supplemental L‐arginine has been shown to enhance thymic and T‐cell responses in rodents. We examined the ability of supplemental dietary L‐arginine to induce T‐cell function in athymic nude mice that lack a normally developed T‐cell system. Groups of male nude (nu/nu) mice (Balb/c background) 7 to 8 weeks old were given for 2 weeks 1.2% arginine hydrochloride solution for drinking, whereas controls received acidified tap water. All mice ingested a standard laboratory chow. In the first experiment, the arginine‐supplemented animals had significantly greater number of T cells in the spleen (assessed by the number of Thy 1.2‐positive lymphocytes) and these cells had enhanced mitogenic responses to mitogenic stimulation (phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A). In vivo delayed‐type hypersensitivity responses to 2,4‐dinitro‐1‐difluorobenzene were also significantly increased after the 2 weeks of arginine supplementation. In a second experiment, mice maintained under the same conditions were skin grafted with rat tail skin. Animals were observed for 100 days for rejection but no significant difference was noted in skin graft survival. We conclude that dietary arginine can increase extrathymic T‐cell maturation and function, but cannot induce in vivo allogeneic graft recognition in athymic nude mice. ( Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 16: 429–432, 1992)