Background & aims: Elemental diets (EDs) have been used successfully in treatment of some intestinal inflammatory diseases; however, the mechanism that mediates their effects is still unclear. In this study we evaluated the immunological effect of enteral administration of an ED in mice.
Methods: C57BL/6 mice were fed an ED (El-Diet) from weaning up to adulthood and immunological parameters were analyzed.
Results: El-Diet-fed mice presented an underdeveloped gut-associated-lymphoid tissue with lower numbers of TCRalphabeta+IELs and lamina propria cells and low levels of secretory IgA when compared to chow-fed mice. They showed a systemic decrease in the production of IgG and IgA as well as a skewing towards a Th2 profile of cytokine production upon in vitro stimulation with an increase in IL-4 and a reduction in IFN-gamma and IL-6 secretion.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the role of EDs in modulating immunological activities in mice and proposes a rational for their successful use in treatment of some intestinal inflammatory diseases.