人們普遍認為在自然環(huán)境中成長更有益于健康。近日,，英國一項最新動物研究證實了這一點：在農場中自然成長的小豬,，與在隔離室中成長的小豬相比，有更強的免疫調節(jié)能力,。
英國布里斯托爾大學等機構研究人員在新一期《兒科過敏與免疫學》（Pediatric Allergy and Immunology）雜志上報告說，他們用一些剛出生的小豬進行了對比實驗,，一部分小豬在農場放養(yǎng),，另一部分一生下來就被放入隔離室，在非常干凈的環(huán)境中喝配方奶粉長大,。
一段時間后,，研究人員對它們進行檢查。結果,，在農場長大的小豬,，體內一種名為調節(jié)性T細胞的免疫細胞數(shù)量多于在隔離室中長大的小豬。調節(jié)性T細胞的功能是調節(jié)免疫系統(tǒng),，使其不隨便產(chǎn)生免疫反應,，以免引起不必要的疾病，比如對一些常見物質過敏等,。
與調節(jié)性T細胞數(shù)量差異相應的是,，在隔離室長大的小豬斷奶時對一些新接觸的豆類食物產(chǎn)生了不必要的免疫反應，而在農場中自然長大的小豬則表現(xiàn)良好,。
研究人員瑪麗·劉易斯說,，人們常有一些經(jīng)驗性的感受,，如在自然環(huán)境中長大的孩子不容易出現(xiàn)過敏癥狀，本次研究有力地證實了這種因果關系,。調節(jié)性T細胞在人體內也存在并且發(fā)揮類似作用,，孩子小時候的生活環(huán)境會影響他們體內這種細胞數(shù)量的多少，進而造成免疫功能上的差異,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1111/j.1399-3038.2011.01258.x
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Direct experimental evidence that early‐life farm environment influences regulation of immune responses
Lewis, Marie C.; Inman, Charlotte F.; Patel, Dilip; Schmidt, Bettina; Mulder, Imke; Miller, Bevis; Gill, Bhupinder P.; Pluske, John; Kelly, Denise; Stokes, Christopher R.; Bailey, Michael
Background: In mammals, early-life environmental variations appear to affect microbial colonization and therefore competent immune development, and exposure to farm environments in infants has been inversely correlated with allergy development. Modelling these effects using manipulation of neonatal rodents is difficult due to their dependency on the mother, but the relatively independent piglet is increasingly identified as a valuable translational model for humans. This study was designed to correlate immune regulation in piglets with early-life environment. Methods: Piglets were nursed by their mother on a commercial farm, while isolator-reared siblings were formula fed. Fluorescence immunohistology was used to quantify T-reg and effector T-cell populations in the intestinal lamina propria and the systemic response to food proteins was quantified by capture ELISA. Results: There was more CD4+ and CD4+CD25+ effector T-cell staining in the intestinal mucosa of the isolator-reared piglets compared with their farm-reared counterparts. In contrast, these isolator-reared piglets had a significantly reduced CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T-cell population compared to farm-reared littermates, resulting in a significantly higher T-reg-to-effector ratio in the farm animals. Consistent with these findings, isolator-reared piglets had an increased serum IgG anti-soya response to novel dietary soya protein relative to farm-reared piglets. Conclusion: Here, we provide the first direct evidence, derived from intervention, that components of the early-life environment present on farms profoundly affects both local development of regulatory components of the mucosal immune system and immune responses to food proteins at weaning. We propose that neonatal piglets provide a tractable model which allows maternal and treatment effects to be statistically separated.
