Abstract
Summary
Food deprivation was found to significantly impair the functional activity of the reticuloendothelial system as evaluated by the vascular clearance of the gelatinized “RE test lipid emulsion.” Depression was associated with an impairment in hepatic phagocytosis and an increased lung uptake. Opsonization of the gelatinized “RE test lipid emulsion” prior to injection completely eliminated the RE depression observed during the starved state. Determinations of the relative opsonic activities of sera from normal and starved rats suggested that the RE depression induced by starvation is mediated by a derangement in opsonic activity. Opsonin depression and subsequent impairment in RE phagocytosis due to a failure in the “recognition” mechanism may be the basis for the lower resistance to infection during profound malnutrition.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.