Malta and the British Navy: the medical connection during the nineteenth century. Part III. Medical and other problems

In this report we present data that help to define the impact of malnutrition during the suckling period on the gut associated lymphoid tissues (GALT). Fifty-day old rats malnourished during lactation presented a diminished percentage of s alpha +B cells and IgA level in the intestinal fluid. Also, a decrease in the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets was found. At 120 days of age the percentage of s alpha +B cells and IgA level in the intestinal fluid was similar to the control. However, the percentage of T cells remained altered. When three doses of chorea toxin were administered orally since day 28, the IgA anti CT antibodies were diminished in the intestinal fluid, while the immunization schedule started after seven days of refeeding (28 days of age). This impairment of the immune response remained even after a CT booster was given to animals 113 days old. This diminishing in the CD4+ T cells may be the major cause of the nonresponsiveness described herewith.