Abstract
Experiments were conducted with rats and mice to evaluate the effect of the consumption of endophyte ( Acremonium coenophialum) and associated toxin (s) infected tall fescue on humoral and cellular aspects of immune function. Treatment diets were: (1) rodent chow (RC) or (2) rodent chow mixed 1 : 1 ( w/w) with endophyte infected (E+) or (3) non-infected (E−) tall fescue seed. Rats fed the E+ diet in experiment 1 (43 days) exhibited a lower ( P<0.05) serum titer to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) immunization than those fed the E− diet (38.4 vs 131.3). The E+ rats also had lower ( P<0.01) white cell counts than either RC or E− groups (5225 vs 8959 and 7491/mm 3). Spleen cells from mice fed the E+ diet for 37 days exhibited a reduced ( P<0.05) response to the mitogens Concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a significant ( P<0.01) 42% increase in T suppressor cell numbers in spleens of mice fed the E+ vs RC diets.
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