Nutrition during perinatal period is more critical for the developme nt of the immune system than during adulthood, and the relationship between earl y nutrition and diseases in later life has been established. In hum...Nutrition during perinatal period is more critical for the developme nt of the immune system than during adulthood, and the relationship between earl y nutrition and diseases in later life has been established. In humans and labor atory animals, the plasticity of metabolic function in foetuses or neonates enab les them to adapt to malnutrition for survival; however, such an adaptation, as usually evidenced by retarded growth, stunted development of lymphoid organs and impaired immunocompetence, can maintain and persist into later life even when n utrition is improved. Early nutrition may thus programme' the immune system of a nimals. Limited experimental studies have also revealed that long-term immunity against nematode parasites in sheep can be enhanced by a short-term protein su pplementation shortly after weaning, a form of 'nutritional programming', but su ch an effect appears to vanish if the nutritional status of young animals alread y meets at least the requirement for maintenance.展开更多
文摘Nutrition during perinatal period is more critical for the developme nt of the immune system than during adulthood, and the relationship between earl y nutrition and diseases in later life has been established. In humans and labor atory animals, the plasticity of metabolic function in foetuses or neonates enab les them to adapt to malnutrition for survival; however, such an adaptation, as usually evidenced by retarded growth, stunted development of lymphoid organs and impaired immunocompetence, can maintain and persist into later life even when n utrition is improved. Early nutrition may thus programme' the immune system of a nimals. Limited experimental studies have also revealed that long-term immunity against nematode parasites in sheep can be enhanced by a short-term protein su pplementation shortly after weaning, a form of 'nutritional programming', but su ch an effect appears to vanish if the nutritional status of young animals alread y meets at least the requirement for maintenance.