Date of Award:

5-1-1985

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Biology

Department name when degree awarded

Biology

Committee Chair(s)

Frederick J. Post

Committee

Frederick J. Post

Committee

Robert W. Sidwell

Committee

Reed Warren

Abstract

Effects of dietary levels of essential fatty acids (EFA) on rotaviral gastroenteritis were studied using the infant mouse as the model animal. Female mice were placed on diets devoid of EFA (0%) for 30 days. Nine days prior to breeding they were divided into three groups receiving 25%, 100% and 200% of the normally recommended quantity of dietary EFAs and were kept on this diet throughout the studies. Two-day-old offspring were infected orally with cesium chloride-purified murine rotavirus (MRV) and the extent of infection was determined. The severity of diarrhea, as exhibited by greater ratios of intestinal weight to whole body weight, was greatest in the infants from dams fed the 25% EFA diet. These animals also exhibited the least gain in weight, further indicating the infection was enhanced by inadequate dietary EFA. Infected mice from groups fed excess (200%) EFA gained much more weight than the infected mice fed 100% or 25% EFA diets, suggesting excess EFA may reverse some of the adverse effects of the infection. Day 8 viral antigen levels in the intestines correlated with the diarrhea severity, with highest virus titers seen in the 25% EFA group. Groups receiving the 100% and 200% EFA diets showed higher levels of antirotaviral antibody titer than those receiving the 25% EFA diet. Cross-fostering experiments revealed both pre- and postnatal concentrations of dietary EFAs to be important in determining the severity of the disease and sensitivity of the host. Infants in groups receiving 25% prenatal diets had lower antibody titers as well as significantly lower weight gains as compared to groups receiving 100% or normal pre- and postnatal diets. Those groups receiving the 100% and 200% prenatal EFA diets showed higher antibody titers as well course of the infection. as higher weight gains over the Attempts to develop a tissue culture assay for titering the infectious virus present in intestines of infected infant mice were partially successful; however, this assay was not sufficiently sensitive for assay of the experimental samples collected in this study. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was therefore used to quantify the viral anitgens. Attempts to adapt MRV to MA-104 cell culture passage by using roller culture technique in the presence or absence of trypsin were not successful.

Download

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .