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How studying immunonutrients in early life: the neonatal rat model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2013

F. J. Pérez-Cano ,
M. Castell ,
C. Castellote  and
A. Franch
F. J. Pérez-Cano
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona; Institut de Recerca en Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària (INSA-UB), Barcelona, Spain
M. Castell
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona; Institut de Recerca en Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària (INSA-UB), Barcelona, Spain
C. Castellote
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona; Institut de Recerca en Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària (INSA-UB), Barcelona, Spain
A. Franch
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona; Institut de Recerca en Nutrició i Seguretat Alimentària (INSA-UB), Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract

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Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 72 , Issue OCE1: 6th International Workshop on Immunonutrition, 15th–17th October 2012, Palma de Mallorca , 2013 , E4
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013 

Animal models are essential to increase the current knowledge about the immunomodulatory properties and mechanisms of particular nutrients in early life. Two aspects are crucial when choosing the animal model for this type of studies: the experimental feasibility of the dietary intervention and knowing which biomarkers can allow to examine whether the supplementation with the nutrient of interest accelerates its immunological time course maturation. The suckling rat immunonutrition model satisfies both aspects. Firstly, the benefits of a short-gestation period animal such as the rat has shorter interventional periods, lower relative cost and better availability and manageability in a laboratory setting than larger animals. Secondly, we have established the main changes on the systemic and mucosal immune system development during rat suckling and therefore these elements can be used as target biomarkers for studying the influence of particular nutrients( Reference Pérez-Cano, Castellote and Marín-Gallén 1 , Reference Pérez-Cano, Castellote and González-Castro2 ). Moreover, studies using the neonatal rat model allow using different approaches consisting of manipulating the maternal diet during gestation and/or lactation, or feeding directly to the pups( Reference Ramírez-Santana, Pérez-Cano and Castellote 3 ). These approaches may help to establish when nutritional programming can provide better outcomes. In summary, the suckling rat as a model allows research about nutrition in early life for programming and immune development.

References

1. Pérez-Cano, FJ, Castellote, C, Marín-Gallén, S et al. (2007) Phenotypic and functional characteristics of rat spleen lymphocytes during suckling. Dev Comp Immunol 31, 1264–1277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Pérez-Cano, FJ, Castellote, C, González-Castro, AM et al. (2005) Developmental changes in intraepithelial T lymphocytes and NK cells in the small intestine of neonatal rats. Ped Res 58, 885–891.Google Scholar
3. Ramírez-Santana, C, Pérez-Cano, FJ, Castellote, C et al. (2009) Higher immunoglobulin production in conjugated linoleic acid-supplemented rats during gestation and suckling. Br J Nut 102, 858–868.Google Scholar