Partial protection and abomasal cytokine expression in sheep experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus and pre-treated with Taenia hydatigena vesicular concentrate

•The administration of a Taenia hydatigena larvae vesicular concentrate (ThLVC) reduced the implantation of H. contortus larvae in lambs.•ThLVC-induced protection is associated to the expression of certain types of cytokines.•The ThLVC is a non-specific immune stimulator for the abomasal immune response.

The abomasal expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IFNγ in lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus and its relationship to protection induced by a Taenia hydatigena larvae vesicular concentrate (ThLVC) were evaluated. The lambs that were only infected with H. contortus larvae showed a worm burden greater (p < 0.05) than the lambs that received ThLVC prior to infection. Moreover, the lambs that received ThLVC showed a greater (p < 0.05) number of blood eosinophils than the lambs that did not receive the ThLVC. In general, the lambs that received ThLVC prior to infection had a greater amount of eosinophils and mast cells and higher in situ expression of IFNγ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 in the abomasal wall than the lambs that were infected with H. contortus only or that received ThLVC (p < 0.05) only. A higher expression of IL-2 and IFNγ in the submucosa compared to the abomasal mucosa and a higher expression of IL-4 in the abomasal mucosa compared to the submucosa was observed (p < 0.05). These results suggest that there is a Th1 type response in the abomasal submucosa and a Th2 type response in in the abomasal mucosa. The amount of eosinophils and mast cells and the in situ expression of IFNγ, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 in the abomasal walls were negatively correlated with the worm burden (p < 0.05). These results suggest that ThLVC is a non-specific immune stimulator for the abomasal immune response, and it is likely that the protection observed is the result of this effect.