Immune response of AA broilers to IBV H120 vaccine and sodium new houttuyfonate

In this report, 120 healthy one-day-old AA broilers were divided into six groups. Groups 1–4 received 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/L of sodium new houttuyfonate (SNH) with IB vaccine H120 respectively. Group 5 received PBS and H120 and group 6 IL-2 and H120. The chickens were inoculated at 7 and 14 days of age. On 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 post first vaccination, the dynamic changes of peripheral lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine assays and serum antibody titers were assayed respectively by MTT method, ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI). The results showed that sodium new houttuyfonate significantly raised IB antibody titer in the chickens and also markedly promoted lymphocyte proliferation. The serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 in groups 1–4 were higher than those in groups 5 and 6. Hence, the immunologic enhancement of SNH was slightly superior to that of IL-2 adjuvant. Following challenge with IBV, chickens inoculated with SNH showed fewer and less severe clinical signs, lower death rate and less kidney pathology, as compared to those of the control groups. It indicated that SNH could enhance immune responses and increase protection against virulent IBV challenge in chickens.