Resumen

FELIU, María S.  y  SLOBODIANIK, Nora H.. EFFECTS OF PROTEIN MALNUTRITION AND ITS NUTRITIONAL RECOVERY IN RATS´ THYMUS. Rev. chil. nutr. [online]. 2002, vol.29, n.2, pp. 125-135. ISSN 0717-7518.  doi: 10.4067/S0717-75182002000200007.

The thymus is severely affected by nutritional disorders. The activity of Adenosine deaminase (ADA), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) and 5’nucleotidase (5’NT) might affect T cell development. We study the effect of feeding growing rats with a protein-free diet and the posterior effect of a complete diet in the recovery of the thymus.. Changes in thymus weight, DNA content and the activity of ADA, PNP and 5’NT were determined in thymocytes’ suspensions. The results indicate that the nutritional stress provoked by the administration of a protein-free diet from weaning onwards, affects the development of thymus expressed as loss of weight and DNA content, with an concomitant increase in the activity of ADA and PNP without 5’NT changes. The increase would be an alternative mechanism to avoid the accumulation of high levels of deoxynucleotides, which would be toxic for T lymphocytes. The recovery diet was capable to reverse the effects provoked by the administration of experimental diets. This work reinforces our hypothesis related to diet as an important modifying factor that affects T lymphocyte development

Palabras clave : Thymus; protein malnutrition; nutritional recovery; thymic enzymes; DNA.