Immune status and the development of Listeria monocytogenes infection in aged and young guinea pigs.

Purpose: Consuming even low numbers of the foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, places the elderly at risk for severe illness. The impact of immunomodulation on the development of listerial infection within a young and aged population after low dose challenge with L. monocytogenes was investigated.

Vitamin E reverses impaired linker for activation of T cells activation in T cells from aged C57BL/6 mice.

Supplemental vitamin E alleviates age-related defects in interleukin (IL)-2 production, T cell proliferation, and immune synapse formation. Here, we evaluated the effect of in vitro supplementation with 46 mumol/L of vitamin E on T cell receptor-proximal signaling events of CD4(+) T cells from young (4-6 mo) and old (22-26 mo) C57BL mice. Aged murine CD4(+) T cells stimulated via CD3 and CD28, tyrosine 191 of the adaptor protein Linker for Activation of T cells (LAT), was hypo-phosphorylated.

Influence of immunomodulation on the development of Listeria monocytogenes infection in aged guinea pigs.

We investigated the impact of immunomodulation on the development of listeriosis within an aged population of guinea pigs after an intragastric challenge with Listeria monocytogenes. Supplementation with vitamin E for 35 days significantly increased the level of cytotoxic T cells (CD8(+)), while treatment with cyclosporin A resulted in a 25% decrease of CD8(+) T cells. In the animals receiving the low dose (10(2) CFU) of L.

Persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on lettuce plants following spray irrigation with contaminated water.

Irrigation water collected at farms growing crops for human consumption was artificially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and used to irrigate lettuce plants. Plants in a growth chamber were spray irrigated either once or intermittently with water contaminated with 10(2) or 10(4) CFU of E.