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Human fetal growth retardation. Metabolic response of leukocytes to phagocytosis
Insights
Fetal malnutrition significantly reduces leukocyte metabolism in children. Key metabolic activities and responses to phagocytosis are notably lower, impacting immune function.
Area of Science:
- * Immunology and Cellular Metabolism
- * Pediatric Nutrition and Health
Background:
- * Leukocyte metabolism is crucial for immune response.
- * Fetal malnutrition can have long-term effects on infant health and immunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To compare basal and stimulated leukocyte metabolism in fetally malnourished versus normal children.
- * To investigate the impact of fetal malnutrition on specific metabolic pathways in leukocytes.
Main Methods:
- * Comparative study of leukocyte metabolism.
- * Measurement of Glucose-6-Phosphate dehydrogenase activity.
- * Assay of leukocyte-oxidase activity, oxygen uptake, and glucose conversion to CO2.
Main Results:
- * Significantly lower basal activities in leukocytes from malnourished children compared to controls.
- * Reduced Glucose-6-Phosphate dehydrogenase, leukocyte-oxidase activity, and oxygen uptake.
- * Impaired conversion of glucose to CO2 and diminished response to phagocytosis stimulation in malnourished infants.
Conclusions:
- * Fetal malnutrition impairs basal and stimulated leukocyte metabolism.
- * These metabolic deficits may compromise immune function in affected infants.
- * Early nutritional interventions could be vital for improving immune cell function.
Abstract:
The basal and stimulated metabolism of leukocytes obtained from fetally malnourished and normal children was comparatively studied. All basal activities of the leukocytes from malnourished children were significantly lower than those observed in normal children: Glucose-6-P-deydrogenase activity was 1.04 +/- 0.12 against 1.27 +/- 0.22 mumoles/min/10(8) cells; leukocyte-oxidase activity was 0.19 +/- 0.03 against 0.31 +/- 0.05 OD units/15 min/2.5 x 10(6) cells, oxygen uptake was 384 +/- 48 against 728 +/- 103 nmoles 0(2)/hr/10(8) cells. The conversion of glucose -1(14)C to 14CO2 was 83 +/- 10 nmoles/10(8) cells in malnourished children and 134 +/- 22 in controls. The response of all the parameters studied to the stimulation of phagocytosis was also significantly lower in fetally malnourished than in control babies.