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Effect of zinc and melatonin supplementation on cellular immunity in rats with toxoplasmosis

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Abstract

The effects of zinc (Zn) and/or melatonin supplementation on cellular immunity were investigated in rats infested with Toxoplasma gondii. Fifty Sprague-Dawley male rats were used for this study. All animals were fed a normal diet, ad libitum, containing 97 mg Zn/kg. They were divided into five experimental groups, as follows. Group I (n=10) received intraperitoneal injections of zinc sulfate at a dose of 3 mg/kg/d for 3 wk. Group II (n=10) received intraperitoneal injections of melatonin at a dose of 3 mg/kg/d for 3 wk. Group III (n=10) received intraperitoneal injections of zinc sulfate (3 mg/kg/d) and melatonin (3 mg/kg/d) for 3 wk. Group IV (n=10) was infested controls. Group V (n=10) was healthy controls. There were no differences in the percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes among all groups. For groups I–III, the CD4+ and CD8+ ratios were higher than those of the groups IV and V controls (p<0.01). Similarly, the total lymphocyte ratios in groups I–III were higher than those of infested and healthy controls (p<0.01). The total lymphocyte ratios in group III were significantly higher than those of groups I and II (p<0.01). The plasma Zn levels in the supplemented groups were significantly higher than those of control groups IV and V (p<0.01). These results suggest that melatonin and/or Zn supplementation may activate cellular immunity by stimulating CD4+ and CD8+ production in infected rats with T. gondii.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Meram Medical School of Selcuk University, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Abdülkerim Kasim Baltaci & Rasim Mogulkoc

  2. Department of Hematology, Meram Medical School of Selcuk University, 42080, Konya, Turkey

    Erdal Kurtoglu

  3. Department of Physiology, Medical School of Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey

    Cem Seref Bediz

  4. Department of Immunology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey

    Aysel Pekel

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  1. Abdülkerim Kasim Baltaci
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  2. Cem Seref Bediz
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  3. Rasim Mogulkoc
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  4. Erdal Kurtoglu
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  5. Aysel Pekel
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Baltaci, A.K., Bediz, C.S., Mogulkoc, R. et al. Effect of zinc and melatonin supplementation on cellular immunity in rats with toxoplasmosis. Biol Trace Elem Res 96, 237–245 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:96:1-3:237

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:96:1-3:237

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