Influence of Dietary Pyridoxine on Selected Immune Capacities of Rat Dams and Pups

Abstract

The influence of dietary pyridoxine on passive antibody transfer from dams to pups and on active humoral antibody formation by the pups was studied. Rats were fed diets containing 20.0, 0.6, 0.45, or 0.3 mg pyridoxine-HCl/kg during gestation and 20.0, 0.4, 0.3, or 0.2 mg/kg during lactation (diets A, B, C, and D). Diets B, C, and D contained 100, 75, and 50% of the NRC requirement for pyridoxine during gestation and lactation. After pups in groups B, C, and D developed signs of pyridoxine deficiency, all dams were fed diet A on days 9 to 21 of lactation. On day 9 vitamin B-6 levels were lower in spleens and thymuses of pups and in milk in groups B, C, and D. However, IgG in sera of dams and pups and in milk indicated that passive antibody transfer was similar for all groups. After weaning, pups in groups A, B, C, and D were fed diets containing 20.0, 0.4, 0.2, and 0 mg vitamin B-6/kg, respectively. On day 35 vitamin B-6 levels were lower in spleens and thymuses of pups fed inadequate pyridoxine (groups B, C, and D). These pups had fewer spleen cells and splenic antibody-forming cells (AFC) and lower levels of humoral antibody. The reduction in spleen cells and splenic AFC resulted in part from lower food intake but was intensified by pyridoxine deprivation.

Immunologic Abnormalities in Hemodialysis Patients: Improvement after Pyridoxine Therapy

“…Laboratory rodents made pyridoxine defi cient by dietary restriction and/or by giving pyridoxine antagonists, such as 4-desoxy-pyridoxine, have dimin ished reactivity to skin tests, impaired rejection of skin and kidney homografts, and diminished numbers of plaque-forming cells in their spleens [4][5][6][7]. Such animals have also been shown to have diminished antibody re sponses to antigens, such as diphtheria toxoid [4].…”

Gestational Exposure to Loud Noise Alters the Development and Postnatal Responsiveness of Humoral and Cellular Components of the Immune System in Offspring

“…Because all pups were raised by their biological mothers, residual stress effects could have disrupted mother-pup interaction. This disruption might have subsequently altered the development of immunocompetence, which is partly accomplished through the transfer of cells and antibodies from mother to young (Debes and Kirksey, 1979;Palmer, 1978). The procedure was previously described in detail by Sobrian et al (1990Sobrian et al ( , 1992.…”

Vitamin Contents in Rat Milk and Effects of Dietary Vitamin Intakes of Dams on the Vitamin Contents in Their Milk

“…Felice and Kirksey (5) reported that the content was around 900 ng/mL when the dams were fed a diet containing 1.0 mg pyridoxine-HCl/100 g diet (this concentration is 1.4-fold higher that the concentration in our normal control diet). Debes and Kirksey (4) reported that content was around 500 ng/mL when the dams were fed a diet containing 2.0 mg pyridoxine-HCl/ 100 g diet (this concentration is 2.85-fold higher than the concentration in our normal control diet). In the present study, the vitamin B 6 content increased according to the change in diet from the low-vitamin (0.14 mg pyridoxine-HCl/100 g diet) to the normal diet (0.7 mg pyridoxine-HCl/100 g diet).…”

“…Duerden and Bates ( 2 ) reported that the vitamin B 2 concentration in rat milk was extremely low when dams were fed a vitamin B 2 -restricted diet compared with control dams. Regarding the vitamin B 6 content in rat milk, Kirksey and Susten ( 3 ) reported that the vitamin B 6 level was a more sensitive indicator than liver or muscle of chronically low intakes of vitamin B 6 by dams, while other investigators also reported that the level of vitamin B 6 in the milk of dams changed according to their intake of vitamin B 6 (3)(4)(5)(6). Two groups reported that the concentration of vitamin B 12 in milk was affected by the dietary intake of vitamin B 12 ( 7 , 8 ).…”