LACK OF CORRELATION BETWEEN SERUM CORTICOSTERONE LEVEL AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS IN UNDERNOURISHED MICE

Two models were developed in order to investigate the importance of el evated serum glucocorticoid levels in the immune dysfunction associate d with protein energy malnutrition. Weight loss was induced in mice by restricting intake of a nutritionally complete diet. In one model, se rum corticosterons levels of these mice were manipulated by adrenalect omy with or without a minimal maintenance level of corticosterone supp lementation. This hormone supplementation was included in some animals in an effort to reduce mortality. In the second model, the amount of diet given was adjusted to produce groups of mice which were equivalen tly undernourished but which were either losing, maintaining or gainin g weight at the time of sacrifice. Elevated serum corticosterons level s were seen only in the animals which were losing weight. Using these models, there was no consistent inverse relationship between serum cor ticosterone levels and blastogenic responses to mitogens, or in vivo a ntibody response to sheep red blood cells. The results suggest that el evated glucocorticoids may not be of major importance in the immunodep ression of a chronic stress condition such as undernutrition.