Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reduced dietary protein content suppresses infection withBabesia microti

  • Published:
Medical Microbiology and Immunology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The influence of acute dietary protein restriction on the development ofBabesia microti infection in the mouse model was investigated. Female mice consuming a diet either devoid of protein or adequate with respect to protein were infected withB. microti-parasitized erythrocytes and sacrificed 7 days later. Absence of dietary protein resulted in a delay in the onset of infection and a significantly reduced peak parasitemia. Non-specific antibody responses to heterologous erythrocytes and specific anti-babesial antibody titers were impaired in mice consuming the protein-free diets, suggesting that the enhanced resistance to experimental babesiosis observed in protein-malnourished mice is not an antibodymediated phenomenon. In addition, protein-malnourished mice did not demonstrate significantly lower concentrations of the serum complement component, C3, which has been implicated as a participant in the invasion process of host erythrocytes by parasites. Serum C3 levels were significantly reduced in infected mice consuming both diets. The mechanism by which acute protein deprivation protects mice against lethal babesiosis remains to be determined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ajayi S, Wilson A, Campbell R (1978) Experimental bovine anaplasmosis: clinico-pathological and nutritional status. Res Vet Sci 25:76–81

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Beisel W (1982) Synergism and antagonism of parasitic diseases and malnutrition. Rev Infect Dis 4:746–750

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Benach J, Habicht G, Hamburger M (1982) Immunoresponsiveness in acute babesiosis. J Infect Dis 146:369–380

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Callow L, Dalgliesh R (1982) Immunity and immunopathology in babesiosis. In: Cohen S, Warren K (eds) Immunology of parasitic infections. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, pp 475–526

    Google Scholar 

  5. Carlomagno M, McMurray D (1983) Chronic zinc deficiency in rats: its influence on some parameters of humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Nutr Res 3:69–78

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Carlomagno M, Alito A, Almiron D, Gimeno A (1982) T and B lymphocyte function in response to a protein-free diet. Infect Immun 38:195–200

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chapman W, Ward P (1976) The complement profile in babesiosis. J Immunol 117:935–938

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Cooper L, Good R, Mariani T (1974) Effects of protein insufficiency on immune responsiveness. Am J Clin Nutr 27:647–664

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Curnow J (1968) In-vitro agglutination of bovine erythrocytes infected withBabesia argentina. Nature 217:267–268

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Edirisinghe J, Fern E, Targett G (1981) The influence of dietary protein on the development of malaria. Ann Trop Pediatr 1:87–91

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Edirisinghe J, Fern E, Targett G (1981) Dietary suppression of rodent malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 75:591–593

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Fern E, Edirisinghe J, Targett G (1984) Increased severity of malaria infection in rats fed supplementary amino acids. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 78:839–841

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Gray G, Phillips R (1981) Use of sorbitol in the cryopreservation of babesia. Res Vet Sci 30:388–389

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Gray G, Phillips R (1983) Suppression of primary and secondary antibody responses and inhibition of antigen priming duringBabesia microti infections in mice. Parasitol Immunol 5:123–134

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hussein H (1976)Babesia hylomysci in mice: preference for erythrocytes of a particular age-group and pathogenesis of the anaemia. Z Parasitenk 50:103–108

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Jack R, Ward P (1981) The entry process of babesia merozoites into red cells. Am J Pathol 102:109–113

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. James M, Kuttler K, Levy M, Ristic (1981) Antibody kinetics in response to vaccination againstBabesia bovis. Am J Vet Res 42:1999–2001

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Jerne N, Nordin A, Henry C (1963) The agar plaque technique for recognizing antibody-producing cells. In: Amos B, Koprowski H (eds) Cell-bound antibodies. Wistar Institute Press, Philadelphia, pp 109–125

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lachman P, Hobart M (1978) Complement technology. In: Weir D (ed) Handbook of experimental immunology I, 3rd edn. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  20. Latif B, Said M, Ali S (1979) Effect of age on the immune response of cattle experimentally infected withBabesia bigemina. Vet Parasitol 5:307–314

    Google Scholar 

  21. Levy M, Clabaugh G, Ristic M (1982) Age resistance in bovine babesiosis: role of blood factors in resistance toBabesia bovis. Infect Immun 37:1127–1131

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Lowry O, Rosebrough N, Farr A, Randall R (1951) Protein measurements with the Folinphenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Mancini G, Carbonara A, Heremans J (1965) Immunochemical quantitation of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. J Immunochem 2:235–254

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Meeusen E, Lloyd S, Soulsby EJL (1984)Babesia microti in mice. Subpopulations of cells involved in the adoptive transfer for immunity with immune spleen cells. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci 63:567–575

    Google Scholar 

  25. National Academy of Science — National Research Council (1963) Evaluation of protein quality, 1100. National Academy of Science, Washington, DC, pp 46–55

    Google Scholar 

  26. Phillips R (1969) The protective activity of serum from immune rats againstBabesia rodhaini. Parasitology 59:357–364

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Rogers R (1974) Serum opsonins and the passive transfer of protection inBabesia rodhaini infections of rats. Int J Parasitol 4:197–201

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Rosner F, Zarrabi M, Benach J, Habicht G (1984) Babesiosis in splenectomized adults. Am J Med 76:696–701

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Ruebush M, Hanson W (1979) Susceptibility of five strains of mice toBabesia microti of human origin. J Parasitol 65:430–433

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Scrimshaw N, Taylor C, Gordon J (1968) Interactions of nutrition and infection. Monograph series 57. WHO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  31. Suskind R (1977) Malnutrition and the immune response. Raven Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  32. Watson R, McMurray D (1979) The effects of malnutrition on secretory and cellular immune processes. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 12:113–159

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Wilson A, Trueman K (1978) Some effects of reduced energy intake on the development of anaplasmosis inBos indicus cross steers. Aust Vet J 54:121–124

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Wolf R (1974) Effects of antilymphocyte serum and splenectomy on resistance toBabesia microti infection on hamsters. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 2:381–394

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Mirta A. Carlomagno

    Present address: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET), Rivadavia 1917, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, 77843, College Station, TX, USA

    Christine L. Tetzlaff, Mirta A. Carlomagno & David N. McMurray

Authors
  1. Christine L. Tetzlaff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mirta A. Carlomagno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David N. McMurray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Presented, in part, at the 1984 meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tetzlaff, C.L., Carlomagno, M.A. & McMurray, D.N. Reduced dietary protein content suppresses infection withBabesia microti . Med Microbiol Immunol 177, 305–315 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389902

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389902

Keywords

Search

Navigation