The Effects Of Malnutrition And Plasmodium Chabaudi Infection On Innate Mucosal Immunity In The Gut

The overlap of malnutrition and malaria results in high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate how malaria infection affects gut mucosal immunity during moderate malnutrition. We used a specialized diet common in malaria endemic regions that is composed of 3% protein content and deficiencies in zinc and iron. This model was confirmed to induce moderate malnutrition with approximately v 10% weight reduction after 4 weeks, and intestinal length shortening when compared to a calorie matched 17% protein control diet group. We found that malnutrition decreased overall myeloid cell, macrophage, and dendritic cell populations but differentially affected activation of dendritic cell subsets in the small and large intestines. Innate mucosal immunity in the gut was skewed towards an inflammatory phenotype in the moderate malnourished mice.