Effects of Folic Acid or Zinc Malnutrition on Rotaviral Infection in a Murine Model
October 2021
in “
Utah State Research and Scholarship (Utah State University)
”
TLDR Folic acid deficiency worsens rotaviral infection, while zinc deficiency affects physical health but not the infection.
The study investigated the effects of folic acid and zinc deficiencies on rotaviral infection in infant mice. It was found that a deficiency in folic acid led to a moderate enhancement of rotaviral disease, evidenced by reduced weight gain, increased diarrhea, and higher rotaviral antigen titers in the intestines. In contrast, zinc deficiency resulted in physical symptoms such as reduced thymus weight, alopecia, and skin rashes, but did not significantly impact the severity of rotaviral disease. The study also demonstrated that the production of rotaviral-specific antibodies was T-cell dependent, as shown by the lack of antibody production in athymic mice.
