Salmonella antigen induces differential bone marrow cytokine secretion in control and malnourished rats.

Balanced diet fed (BDF) rats injected with Salmonella typhi 'H' antigen showed an initial suppression of an immunomodulatory bone marrow cytokine Frl (BM-Frl) followed by stimulation, whereas the cytokine secretory pattern showed only stimulation in immunized vitamin B complex malnourished rats. This nutritional-dependent differential response of a bone marrow cytokine to antigen is similar to that observed previously in brain adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) function following immunization. An improvement in antibody response to S. typhi (p<0.01) and neutrophil function (p<0.05) was observed in cytokine-treated malnourished immunosuppressed rats further strengthening our previous observations that BM-Frl modulates both specific and non-specific immune systems. No significant change was observed in BDF animals indicating that malnourished rats gain more from cytokine therapy, whereas a negative feedback system might be present in BDF animals.