Hepatic cells' mitotic and peritoneal macrophage phagocytic activities during Trypanosoma musculi infection in zinc-deficient mice.

The effects of zinc deficiency on hepatic cell mitotic and peritoneal macrophage phagocytic activities were examined in mice infected with Trypanosoma musculi or immunized with parasitic products. On a full-complement or pair-fed diet, infected and homogenate-inoculated mice showed mitotic activity gains of 7.9% to 80.3% and 6.5% to 99.0%, respectively. Infected and homogenate-inoculated mice on a zinc-deficient diet showed 21.8% to 95.7% and 17.2% to 65.2%, respectively, more dividing liver cells compared with controls. In comparison to controls, macrophages isolated from infected and homogenate-immunized mice on full-complement or pair-fed diets had phagocytized 13.4% to 31.4% more latex particles from day 50 to 80. In the zinc-deficient group, macrophages isolated from infected mice had significant numbers of phagocytized latex particles (1.8% to 38.5%) from day 20 to day 80 compared with controls. The homogenate-immunized mice also had increased numbers (18.6 to 30.8%) of phagocytized latex particles.