A mixture of nucleosides and nucleotides increases bone marrow cell and peripheral neutrophil number in mice infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 125; no. 4; p. 817
• Main Authors: Matsumoto, Y, Adjei, A A, Yamauchi, K, Kise, M, Nakasone, Y, Shinagawa, Y, Yokoyama, H, Yamamoto, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-04-1995
• Subjects: Animals; Bone Marrow - drug effects; Bone Marrow - metabolism; Bone Marrow Cells; Bromodeoxyuridine - metabolism; DNA - metabolism; Leukocyte Count; Methicillin - therapeutic use; Methicillin Resistance - genetics; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neutrophils - cytology; Neutrophils - drug effects; Neutrophils - metabolism; Nucleosides - metabolism; Nucleosides - pharmacology; Nucleotides - metabolism; Nucleotides - pharmacology; Random Allocation; S Phase; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcal Infections - pathology; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0022-3166

We studied the effects of a mixture of nucleosides and nucleotides on the peripheral neutrophil number and the proliferation of bone marrow cells in mice challenged with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. BALB/c mice were fed a nucleotide-free 20% casein diet (control) or this diet supplemented with nucleosides and nucleotides orally (Expt. 1) or intraperitoneally (Expt. 2 and 3). On d 10, the mice were challenged intravenously with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (6.7 x 10(12) colony forming units/L). In Expt. 1 and 2, numbers of total and differential counts of blood leucocytes were counted on d 0 (before), 1, 3 and 5 after the infection. In Expt. 3, 30 min before killing, bromodeoxyuridine (20 mg/kg), an analogue of thymidine, was administered intraperitoneally and its incorporation in the DNA synthetic phase of bone marrow cells was determined at 0 h (before), 3, 6 and 24 h after the infection. Mice fed the supplemented diet had higher (P < 0.05) leucocyte and neutrophil numbers on d 0 compared with the control group. The neutrophil numbers tended to be greater in the supplemented group at 1, 3 and 5 d after the infection. Intraperitoneal administration of nucleosides and nucleotides increased (P < 0.05) neutrophil numbers before and after the infection. Twenty-four h after the infection, incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine into the DNA synthetic phase of bone marrow cells in the group administered nucleosides and nucleotides was higher (P < 0.05) than in the control group. We conclude that, following methicillin-resistant S. aureus injection, intraperitoneal administration of a nucleoside-nucleotide mixture may stimulate bone marrow cell proliferation and increase the peripheral blood neutrophil numbers. Oral administration may elicit weaker effects.