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Flow cytometric analysis of spontaneous and dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in thymocytes from severely malnourished rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Rocío Ortiz ,
Leticia Corté ,
Humberto Gonz´lez–M´rquez ,
José Luis Gómez ,
Cristina Gonz´lez  and
Edith Cortés
Rocío Ortiz*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Apdo. Postal 55-535, C.P. 09340, México;D.F., México
Leticia Corté
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Apdo. Postal 55-535, C.P. 09340, México;D.F., México
Humberto Gonz´lez–M´rquez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Apdo. Postal 55-535, C.P. 09340, México;D.F., México
José Luis Gómez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Apdo. Postal 55-535, C.P. 09340, México;D.F., México
Cristina Gonz´lez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Apdo. Postal 55-535, C.P. 09340, México;D.F., México
Edith Cortés
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Apdo. Postal 55-535, C.P. 09340, México;D.F., México
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Rocío Ortiz, fax +52 58 04 47 27, email arom@xanum.uam.mx
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Abstract

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Severe malnutrition is widely distributed throughout the world, showing a high prevalence in developing countries. Experimental animal models have been useful to study the effects of malnutrition at different levels and ages. Apoptosis is a well recognised process of cell death occurring under several physiological and pathological conditions. It represents the principal mechanism involved in cell selection in the thymus. Thymocyte apoptosis induction by dexamethasone is one of the best characterised experimental models of programmed cell death. The aim of the present study was to determine whether severe malnutrition increased spontaneous and/or dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in vivo in thymocytes of experimentally malnourished rats during lactation. Thymocytes were obtained from malnourished rats at weaning (21d of age). Apoptosis frequency was estimated by the terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling assay. Spontaneous apoptosis was 1·9 (SD 1·0) % IN WELL NOURISHED RATS IN CONTRAST TO 13·3 (sd 3·8) % in malnourished animals; this is seven times greater (P<0·001). Interestingly, the frequency of dexamethasone-induced apoptosis was similar in both groups of animals (47·9 (sd 10·1) % in well nourished rats and 53·8 (sd 8·0) % in malnourished rats). The results obtained in the present study indicate that malnutrition is associated with a significant increase of spontaneously apoptotic cells. In addition, the data showed that the fraction of thymocytes susceptible to dexamethasone-induced apoptosis was similar in well nourished and malnourished animals. The greater levels of spontaneously apoptotic cells associated with malnutrition could be related to alterations of the microenvironment of the thymus and/or to an obstruction of early thymocyte maturation.

Keywords

ApoptosisRat thymocytesExperimental malnutritionTUNEL assay
Type
Short communication
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 86 , Issue 5 , November 2001 , pp. 545 - 548
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2005

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