Severe or Marginal Copper Deficiency Results in a Graded Reduction in Immune Status in Mice

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 118; no. 8; pp. 1041 - 1047
• Main Authors: Mulhern, Sally A., Koller, Loren D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.08.1988; American Society for Nutritional Sciences
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; CARENCE MINERALE; Ceruloplasmin - blood; COBRE; Colony-Forming Units Assay; Copper - administration & dosage; Copper - deficiency; Copper - pharmacology; CUIVRE; DEFICIENCIA DE MINERALES; DIETA; Erythropoiesis - drug effects; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immunity - drug effects; IMMUNOLOGIE; INMUNOLOGIA; lipopolysaccharide challenge; lymphocyte subpopulations; Male; marginal copper deficiency; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Myocardium - pathology; Nutritive Value - drug effects; Organ Size - drug effects; Pregnancy; RATON; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; severe copper deficiency; SOURIS; Spleen - pathology; stem cell activity; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Thymus Gland - anatomy & histology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; stem cell activity; severe copper deficiency; lipopolysaccharide challenge; marginal copper deficiency; lymphocyte subpopulations; Deficient diet; Immune response; Stem cell; Deficiency; Rodentia; Inorganic element; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Immunology; Mouse; Lipopolysaccharide; Copper; Lymphocyte
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/118.8.1041

From birth mice received diets containing copper at 0.5, 1, 2 or 6 mg/kg diet. At 8 wk of age they were killed and copper status and immune responsiveness were determined. Only the groups that received copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg showed signs of copper deficiency, such as reduced serum ceruloplasmin, hemoglobin, hematocrit and red blood cell counts and characteristic changes in organ pathology. Body and lymphoid organ weights were altered in the groups that received copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg. Males were more severely affected than females. A dose-related reduction in splenic T-cell subpopulations was noted in the 0.5 and 1 mg/kg groups. Responses to lipopolysaccharide challenge were reduced, and an increase in spontaneous cycling cells was noted in the groups receiving copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg. Only the group receiving copper at 0.5 mg/kg had increased stem cell activity; this increase was probably due to increased erythropoiesis to meet increased demands for red blood cells in this group. These data indicate that only groups receiving copper at 0.5 or 1 mg/kg in the diet were depleted and marginally depleted in copper, respectively, and that immune hyporesponsiveness differs between the depleted and marginally depleted groups.