Cytoenzymatic studies on the lymphocytes of peripheral blood and lymphatic nodes of rats in an experimental magnesium deficiency.

Wistar rats kept on a magnesium deficient diet show several changes in the lymphatic organs as well as some disorders in the function of the immunological system, which appear as an impairment of cellular immunity and also as hypogammaglobulinemia. In the present experiment the level of leuco- and lymphocytosis has been studied. Furthermore, the activity of some lysosomal enzymes in blood lymphocytes, as well as the ability to incorporate labelled leucine shown by lymph nodes lymphocytes of deficient rats have been investigated. The rise in leuco- and lymphocytosis is similar to that reported by other authors. A significant rise in the activity of beta-glucuronidase as well as a considerable drop in the percentage of enzyme-negative lymphocytes have been observed as early as the first week of experiment. Tissue cultures of the lymph nodes, lymphocytes of deficient rats showed significantly lower values of labelled leucine incorporation with respect to the controls; in contrast, after phytohemagglutinin M stimulation the increase of incorporation in the lymphocytes of deficient and control rats was similar. Our findings may be indicative of some disorders in the redistribution of T and B lymphocytes in the blood and tissues of deficient rats. The observed cytochemical changes may be due to the intensification of autophagic processes in the lymphocytes that manifest a diminished ability to synthetize proteins.