Age-Dependent Effects of Yolkin on Contact Sensitivity and Immune Phenotypes in Juvenile Mice
Michał Zimecki,
Jolanta Artym,
Maja Kocięba,
Ewa Zaczyńska,
Angelika Sysak,
Marianna Szczypka,
Magdalena Lis,
Aleksandra Pawlak,
Bożena Obmińska-Mrukowicz,
Katarzyna Kaleta-Kuratewicz,
Aleksandra Zambrowicz,
Łukasz Bobak
Affiliations
Michał Zimecki
Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Experimental Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla Str. 12, 53-114 Wrocław, Poland
Jolanta Artym
Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Experimental Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla Str. 12, 53-114 Wrocław, Poland
Maja Kocięba
Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Experimental Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla Str. 12, 53-114 Wrocław, Poland
Ewa Zaczyńska
Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Experimental Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla Str. 12, 53-114 Wrocław, Poland
Angelika Sysak
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida Str. 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Marianna Szczypka
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida Str. 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Magdalena Lis
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida Str. 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Aleksandra Pawlak
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida Str. 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Bożena Obmińska-Mrukowicz
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida Str. 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Katarzyna Kaleta-Kuratewicz
Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, C. K. Norwida Str. 25, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Aleksandra Zambrowicz
Department of Functional Food Products Development, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, J. Chełmońskiego 37 Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Łukasz Bobak
Department of Functional Food Products Development, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, J. Chełmońskiego 37 Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Yolkin, an egg yolk immunoregulatory protein, stimulates the humoral but inhibits the cellular immune response in adult mice. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of yolkin administration on the immune response using a model of juvenile, i.e., 28-day- and 37-day-old, mice. We examined the yolkin influence on the magnitude of the cellular immune response, which was determined as contact sensitivity (CS) to oxazolone (OXA), and the humoral immune response, which was determined as the antibody response to ovalbumin (OVA). Yolkin was administered in drinking water, followed by immunization with OXA or OVA. In parallel, the phenotypic changes in the lymphoid organs were determined following yolkin treatment and prior immunization. The results showed that yolkin had a stimulatory effect on CS in the mice treated with yolkin from the 37th day of life but not from the 28th day of life. In contrast, no regulatory effect of yolkin on antibody production was found in 28-day- and 37-day-old mice. Phenotypic studies revealed significant changes in the content of B cells and T cell subpopulations, including CD4+CD25+Foxp3 regulatory T cells. The association between the effects of yolkin on the magnitude of CS and phenotypic changes in main T- and B-cell compartments, as well the importance of changes in T-regulatory and CD8+ cells in the age categories, are discussed. We conclude that the immunoregulatory effects of yolkin on the generation of CS in mice are age dependent and change from stimulation in juvenile to suppression in adult mice.
