Protective efficacy of trypsin inhibitor on the gut following rotavirus infection in malnourished infant mice

Epidemiologic data suggest a close relationship between protein energy maln utrition (or protein energy malnourished) (PEM) and development of infectio us diarrheal diseases. In the present studies, the impact of trypsin inhibi tor (TI) on the gut following rotavirus (RV) infection was investigated in PEM young growing inbred balb/c mice. The animals were divided into four gr oups: (1)control; (2) PEM; (3) PEM+RV and (4) PEM+ RV+TI. Control and PEM a nimals were orally inoculated with normal saline, PEM+RV animals were given 50 mu l RV (100 ID50) and PEM+RV+TI animals were inoculated with 0.6 mg TI /g body weight + 50 mu l RV. The body weight of each animal was recorded. S ix animals from each group were sacrificed on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 pos t inoculation by cervical dislocation. The intestines were removed, everted and homogenized in ice-cold saline. Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), glutathi one (GSH) levels and L-leucine uptake were determined in the jejunum and il eum. Body weight was decreased in PEM and PEM+RV groups compared to the con trols. LAP and leucine uptake levers were elevated in the PEM group but dec reased in the PEM+RV group. GSH levels were decreased in the PEM+RV group. Enzyme activity, GSH and LAP uptake levels were restored in the PEM+RV+TI g roup. The study shows the protective role of soybean TI against RV infectio n in malnourished mice. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.