Moderate Malnutrition Increases NK Cell Population And Inflammatory Activation In The Spleen

Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by organisms of the genus Plasmodium. The most recent world report detailed 241 million cases of Plasmodium infection with 627,000 deaths in 2020. The success of the parasite is tied to its evolving drug resistance in addition to anthropogenic effects. Malnutrition significantly impacts the immune system through a variety of mechanisms, with most specifics unknown. The severity of malaria disease is drastically affected by malnutrition, increasing disease severity and morbidity. C57BL/6 mice were fed a diet consisting of 3% protein deficient in iron and zinc compared to age-matched well-nourished controls fed a 17% protein content diet supplemented with iron and zinc over 4 weeks. Circulating blood leukocytes and splenic lymphocytes were collected. I observed that during P. chabaudi infection, NK cell maturation was elevated in the moderate malnourished mice, as indicated by increased expression of CD11b and IFN-y. NK cells in moderate malnourished mice also produced more perforin, but granzyme B levels were unaffected by diet. This elevated activation could be due to intrinsic effects on the cells due to diet; however, it could also be due to increased bacterial translocation form the gut.