Family matters: Maternal and litter-size effects on immune parameters in young laboratory rats

A functional immune system is important for the survival of mammalian young, particularly at weaning when they lose the immunological support provided by the mother’s colostrum and milk. In altricial mammals, litter size and maternal characteristics are important components of an animal’s early environment, which affect postnatal growth and development. In a study of unculled litters of Long-Evans laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus), we asked whether such parameters are also associated with the immune status of the young shortly before weaning. On postnatal day 17, we assessed numbers of several leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets, the activity of the complement system, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations in the serum. Averaging the values of all pups per litter, we found negative correlations between litter size and lymphocyte counts, complement system activity and IgG concentration. Maternal effects were seen in the positive correlation between maternal postpartum body mass and granulocyte and monocyte counts. In addition, lymphocyte and monocyte counts as well as complement activity were lower for the young of multiparous than of primiparous mothers. This suggests a trend towards a better developed immune system in such offspring, which may be relevant for their immediate and long-term survival. The effects described here have potential implications for the design and interpretation of biomedical studies of immune parameters in laboratory rats.

Research highlights► The emergence of individual differences in physiology, health and body condition is an important topic in biological and medical sciences. ► Our study in laboratory rats, i.e. in animals born under assumed standardized conditions and with low genetic variation, clearly shows (and based on a large sample size) that differences in early life conditions such as litter size and maternal body mass are sufficient to cause consistent differences in various parameters of an individual’s immune system. ► Such effects, which were apparent in our study with respect to white blood cell subsets, complement system activity and immunoglobulin G concentrations, might have important implications for the interpretation and design of immunological studies with this commonly used laboratory animal. ► Furthermore, our findings might constitute an important mechanism explaining how litter-size and maternal effects translate into long-term consequences for an individual’s health and survival.