Citation

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The study was performed on the specific pathogen-free mouse, inbred strains C57BL/6J, NOD SCID and BALB/c. Plasma progesterone in pregnant females was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Body composition was determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy using a low-field NMR spectrometer (EchoMRI, USA). To assess peritoneal macrophage responses (innate immunity) to Anthrax, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were measured in a culture medium 24 hours after the addition of both Anthrax Lethal Factor and Anthrax Protective Antigen. To assess adaptive immunity, 9-10 males in experimental groups were infected with _Helicobacter hepaticus_. Faeces collected two and four weeks after infection was used for quantitative assessment of the _H. hepaticus_ DNA by real time PCR. IgA, interferon (IFN- ), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in colon tissue and IgG in serum were determined in samples collected four weeks after gavage with _H. hepaticus_ using ELISA. For statistical analyses, ANCOVA, post-hoc least significant difference (LSD) test, Student’s t-test, Spearman rank correlations and 2 test were performed. P value < 0.05 was considered as a statistically significant difference.