This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (47)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Anil D. Kulkarni, MSc; William C. Fanslow; David B. Drath, PhD; Frederick B. Rudolph, PhD; Charles T. Van Buren, MD

Arch Surg. 1986;121(2):169-172.

Abstract
• Although enzyme defects in purine metabolism have revealed the importance of these substrates to maintenance of a normal immune response, the role of exogenous nucleotides on the cells that mediate the host defense system has remained largely unexplored. Recent investigations have revealed that dietary nucleotides are vital to the maintenance of cell-mediated responses to antigen stimulation. To test the influence of dietary nucleotide deprivation on resistance to infection, Balb/c mice were maintained on chow, a nucleotide-free (NF) diet, or an NF diet repleted with adenine, uracil, or RNA. Mice on the NF diet suffered 100% mortality following intravenous challenge with Staphylococcus aureus, while chow-fed and RNA- or uracil-repleted mice demonstrated significantly greater resistance to this bacterial challenge. Macrophages from mice on the NF diet had decreased phagocytic activity as measured by uptake of radiolabeled bacteria compared with mice maintained on the NF diet supplemented with adenine, uracil, or RNA. No change in S aureus antibody response was noted on the various diets. Although the mechanism of this suppression of nonspecific immunity remains unclear, provision of nucleotides to defined diets appears vital to maintain host resistance to bacterial challenge.

(Arch Surg 1986;121:169-172)

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Immunology and Organ Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical School, Houston (Mr Kulkarni and Drs Drath and Van Buren), and the Department of Biochemistry, Rice University, Houston (Mr Fanslow and Dr Rudolph).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 26, 1985.

Read before the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Surgical Infection Society, New Orleans, April 29, 1985.

Reprint requests to Division of Immunology and Organ Transplantation, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX 77030 (Mr Kulkarni).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Dietary Nucleotides Affect Hepatic Growth and Composition in the Weanling Mouse
Novak et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1994;18:62-66.
ABSTRACT  

Invited Review: Nutrition and Immune Function
Bower
Nutr Clin Pract 1990;5:189-195.
 

Dietary Nucleotides Reverse Malnutrition and Starvation-Induced Immunosuppression
Pizzini et al.
Arch Surg 1990;125:86-90.
ABSTRACT