Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2472716 | Veterinary Parasitology | 2006 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine if administration of recombinant bovine interleukin-12 (rBoIL-12) could stimulate a cellular immune response that protected calves from an oral challenge inoculation with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. In a first experiment, rBoIL-12 intraperitoneally administered as a single dose 1 day before challenge inoculation, did not alter the course of infection. The percentage of immune competent cells and levels of cytokine gene expression in the ileo-cecal mucosa and in the draining lymph nodes of treated calves were similar to those of untreated control calves. However, when rBoIL-12 was subcutaneously administered daily from 2 days before infection to 2 days after infection, a consistent increase of T lymphocytes and an higher expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was detected. Again, treatment did not alter the course of infection. Similar results were obtained when rBoIL-12 was administered daily for 4 days beginning 2 days after oral inoculation. These data indicate that although rBoIL-12 stimulated a strong immune response in the gut of neonatal calves, the response was not able to provide protection from challenge inoculation with C. parvum oocysts.
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Authors
Paolo Pasquali, Ronald Fayer, Dante Zarlenga, Ana Canals, Tine de Marez, Maria Teresa Gomez Munoz, Sonia Almeria, Louis C. Gasbarre,