NUTRITIONAL INFLUENCES ON IN-VITRO SPLENIC LYMPHOCYTE-PROLIFERATION IN PSAMMOMYS-OBESUS (RODENTIA-GERBILLIDAE)

The standard laboratory diet administered to sand rat (Psammomys obesu s) induces the following physiological and immunological changes: hype rglycemia and hypercholesterolemia involving mainly the free fraction of cholesterol, with an elevation of high-density-lipoprotein levels a nd a decrease in B and T splenic lymphocyte proliferation in the prese nce of different mitogens PHA-P, Con A and LPS. These results demonstr ate the important modification that could be induced in sand rat by th e standard laboratory diet as compared with natural diet, and thus the sand rat (P. obesus) appears to be an interesting model for studies o n experimental diabetes mellitus.