ZINC-DEFICIENCY AFFECTS THE EXPRESSION OF IL-2 BUT NOT OF IL-2R IN SPLEEN LYMPHOCYTES OF RATS

It has been investigated whether a severe zinc deficiency affects the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2)-mRNA and of its receptor (IL-2R). R ats of 150 g were fed for 40 days a 20% complete diet (control rats) o r a zinc deficient diet containing sodium phytate (zinc deficient rats ). As control for the protein and calorie deficiency that are associat ed with zinc deficiency, a group of rats were fed a 4% casein diet (mo derately protein deficient rats) or the complete diet in an amount equ ivalent to that consumed by the zinc deficient rats (pair-fed rats). T he level of IL-2 mRNA was analyzed by Northern hybridization on RNA ex tracted from lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalinA. The results ha ve shown that the IL-2 mRNA was markedly reduced by zinc deficiency bu t not by the other nutritional deficiencies. Differently, the level of IL-2R analyzed by radioimmunoassay was similar in all groups of rats.