Effects of protein restriction on functional properties of rat peritoneal macrophages

Rats were maintained on 20% and 4% protein diets for 3 weeks. The functional properties of thioglycollate (TG) elicited macrophages from these groups were compared with the non elicited resident cells from the protein fed group. Elicitation of macrophages in response to TG was low in the protein deficient group. These cells also exhibited low adherence in overnight cultures compared to those isolated from the protein fed group; however their viability and total protein content remained unaltered. Normal resident and TG elicited cells from 4% protein fed group exhibited an initial lag period in H2O2 production in response to zymosan stimulation. The lag period could be correlated to the high endogeneous catalase activity in these cells. Incubation with zymosan resulted in rapid decline in catalase levels, facilitating evolution of H2O2. On prolonged incubation, the elicited cells from the protein fasted rats evolved about 87% H2O2 compared to the protein fed samples. In the absence of zymosan all the samples possessed comparable NADPH oxidase activity. Zymosan induced activation of this enzyme was higher in TG cells from the protein fed groups, compared to the protein fasted and the resident samples. The cellular enzyme activity, however was not altered in the TG cells of both the groups though it declined rapidly in the corresponding resident cells. Significant reduction (congruent to 50%) in both serum iron and transferrin in the low protein fed samples did not correspondingly affect the oxidative burst process. However the engulfment of yeast cells was greatly impaired due to protein restriction. Adherence and phagocytic properties of macrophages are regulated by the activity of their membrane constituents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)