Effect of dietary essential amino acid limitations upon native levels of murine serum immunoglobulins, transferrin, and complement.

Effects of dietary essential amino acid (leucine, isoleucine, valine, or lysine) limitations upon the native levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA, as well as transferrin, the third component of complement (C3), and albumin were determined in CF1 mice by the radial immunodiffusion technique. Male mice fed the control diet and the isoleucine- or valine-limited diets exhibited lower levels of serum IgG than the female mice fed the same diets. Levels of IgG in female experimental mice were not significantly different than those in female control mice. Serum IgM levels in male or female mice fed the experimental diets were higher than those in the control mice. Except for the mice fed the isoleucine-limited diet, serum IgA levels were higher in male and female mice fed the experimental diets than in mice fed the control diet. Serum transferrin levels were not significantly different in mice fed the experimental diets when compared with mice fed the control diet. However, the levels of transferrin found in the peritoneal exudates were lower in mice fed the isoleucine- or lysine-limited diets than in mice fed the control diet. In mice fed the isoleucine- and lysine-limited diets, the levels of serum C3 were significantly lower than those in control mice. These results indicate that the native levels of serum immunoglobulins are increased in some instances and that the levels of serum C3 and the transferrin in the peritoneal fluid are significantly decreased in certain dietary groups of mice.