Effects of Vitamin A Deficiency on Lymphocyte Subpopulations in the Thymus, Lymph Nodes, and Spleen in Mice.

Abstract

Female mice were fed from delivery until weaning by lactating mothers consuming a vitamin A-free diet. Three groups of weanling female mice were fed diets containing different amounts of vitamin A (0mg/kg diet; 0.45mg/kg; 4.5mg/kg) for 7 weeks. A control pair-fed group (PF) was paired with the group fed the vitamin A-free diet. Seven mice received the vitamin A-free diet for 7 weeks, and then were rehabilitated (R) on the 4.5mg/kg diet for 10 days. Mice fed the 0mg vitamin A/kg diet were severely vitamin A deficient (SD), whereas those fed the 0.45mg vitamin A/kg one were moderately deficient (MD), as shown by their vitamin A levels in blood and in liver. Mice receiving the 4.5mg/kg dose of vitamin A served as the control (C). No significant differences were observed in thymus weight. Total number and concentration of thymocytes per mg of tissue were decreased in SD mice compared with the control, and number and proportion of CD4-8+ cells were lower than in C, PF, and R. No significant difference was found in subsets in lymph node. In spleen, the proportion and the total number of CD4+8- was lower in SD mice. No difference was observed in the proportion of splenic B lymphocytes.