Protein content of CBA/Ca mouse diet: relationship with host antibody responses and the population dynamics ofTrichuris muris(Nematoda) in repeated infection

Abstract

The influence of host dietary protein on acquired immunity and intestinal helminth population dynamics during repeated infection was studied using the mouse–Trichuris murisexperimental model. CBA/Ca mice fed a 2% (by mass) protein dietad libitummaintained body weight during the experiment, but when fed diets containing either 4% or 16% (by mass) protein gained weight steadily. Infection withT. murisdid not affect the growth of the latter mice but significantly reduced the growth of animals fed on the 2% protein diet. When repeatedly infected with either 5 or 50 eggs every 10 days, the mice fed the 2% or 4% protein diet accumulated adults in proportion to infection dose. The results show that this is due to both the establishment of larvae at each repeated infection and the survival of established adults. In contrast, very few worms were recovered from animals fed the 16% protein diet, principally as a result of the development of strong acquired immunity to reinfection.T. murisegg output/mouse increased with infection dose in animals fed the low protein diets, but no parasite eggs were detected in the faeces of hosts fed the 16% protein diet. Mouse antibody reponses to adult worm excretory/secretory antigen were time- and infection dose-dependent in all 3 dietary groups. The major finding was that the specific antibody response was more intense, both quantitatively (serum OD levels) and qualitatively (antigen recognition by IgG1), in mice fed the low protein diets, even though they remained susceptible to infection. This study shows that host dietary protein deficiency, even at levels irrelevant to normal growth, can markedly potentiate the transmission ofT. murisvia alterations in host resistance. The high levels of antibody in susceptible animals suggest that this defect in resistance is unlikely to be due to nutrient deficiency-associated defects in humoral immunity.