Attenuated cytokine responses in porcine lymph node cells stimulated with CpG DNA are associated with low frequency of IFNalpha-producing cells and TLR9 mRNA expression

The immune stimulatory effects of synthetic CpG DNA, on porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) have been reported, but little is known about CpG-induced responses in other lymphoid tissues of pigs. We investigated innate immune responses induced by CpG DNA in cells from blood, lymph nodes (LN) and spleens of pigs. Porcine PBMC and lymph node cells (LNC) were stimulated in vitro with three classes (A-, B- and C-class) of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), and a non-CpG control ODN. All three classes of CpG ODNs induced significant production of IFNalpha, TNFalpha, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-12 in PBMC. In contrast, in LNC, only IL-12 was stimulated by all three classes of CpG ODNs, while IFNalpha, and IL-6 were induced by A- and C-class ODNs. No TNFalpha was induced in LNC by any of the ODNs. Significant lymphocyte proliferation was induced in PBMC by all three classes of CpG ODNs and non-CpG control. However, in LNC, B- and C-class ODNs induced significant proliferation, while no proliferation was seen with A-class and non-CpG control ODN. All three classes of ODNs induced NK-like cytotoxicity in PBMC and spleen cells, but were less effective in inducing NK cytotoxicity in LNC. We then investigated the reasons for the relatively poor CpG-induced responses in LNC. Our investigations revealed that LNC had a lower frequency of IFNalpha-secreting cells and expressed low levels of TLR9 mRNA compared to PBMC. We conclude that the lower number of IFNalpha-secreting cells and receptor expression may contribute to the attenuated responses in LNC following stimulation with CpG ODN.     

Cytokine induction by immunostimulatory DNA in porcine PBMC is impaired by a hairpin forming sequence motif from the genome of Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2)

Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) can cause postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in young pigs with severe immunosuppression as a major characteristic of the disease complex. Despite the dramatic involvement of the immune system, the interaction between PCV2 and the host is until date not well understood. The DNA genome of PCV2 contains sequences that in synthetic form (oligodeoxyribonucleotides; ODNs) can act immunomodulatory on porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (poPBMCs) in vitro. One such sequence (ODN PCV2/1) acts inhibitory on interferon (IFN)-α production induced by immunostimulatory DNA but not that induced by RNA, and the inhibitory activity is dependent on secondary structure formation. In the present study, the characteristic of ODN PCV2/1 was examined further by altering the nucleotide sequence to disrupt hairpin structure formation but still enable multimer structures through G-tetrads. This modification resulted in loss of IFN-α-inhibitory activity of the ODN and thus indicated the importance of hairpin structures. In addition, ODN PCV2/1 was compared to another inhibitory ODN (IRS 869) previously used in human and murine cells. In contrast to ODN PCV2/1, ODN IRS 869 did not inhibit IFN-α production induced by class A ODN 2216 but was a more efficient inhibitor of IFN-α production induced by plasmid DNA than ODN PCV2/1. In cultures induced by the RNA stimulator Poly I:C, however, a strong synergistic IFN-α stimulatory effect was seen in combination with ODN IRS 869. These results indicate that ODN PCV2/1 and ODN IRS 869 function through separate mechanisms to affect cytokine production by immune cells. The effect of ODN PCV2/1 was studied further by monitoring the expression of mRNA for IFN-α, IL-12p40, IL-10, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-1β, TGF-β, and TNF-α in cultures of poPBMC stimulated with ODN 2216 or Poly I:C. Results from qPCR analyses showed that ODN PCV2/1 clearly inhibited the expression of IFN-α, IL-12p40, IL-10 and IL-6 when induced by ODN 2216, but did not seem to affect any of the cytokines examined when induced by Poly I:C. Initial studies using confocal microscopy and fluorochrome labelled ODNs indicate that ODN 2216 and ODN PCV2/1 co-localize in subpopulations of poPBMC.     

In vivo administration of ligands for chicken toll-like receptors 4 and 21 induces the expression of immune system genes in the spleen

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a group of conserved proteins that play an important role in pathogen recognition in addition to the initiation and regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. To date, several TLRs have been identified in chickens, each recognizing different ligands. TLR stimulation in chickens has been shown to play a role in host-responses to pathogens. However, the mechanisms through which TLRs modulate the chicken immune system have not been well examined. The present study was conducted to characterize the kinetics of responses to TLR4 and TLR21 stimulation in chickens following intramuscular injections of their corresponding ligands, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), respectively. To this end, relative expression of cytokine genes in the spleen was determined at 2, 6, 12 and 24 h after injection of TLR ligands. The results indicated that LPS strongly induced the up-regulation of some immune system genes early on in the response to treatment, including interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-1β. Furthermore, treatment with CpG ODN promoted the up-regulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II, IFN-γ and IL-10. The response to CpG ODN appeared to be somewhat delayed compared to the response to LPS. Moreover, we found a significant increase in IFN-α gene expression in response to LPS but not CpG ODNs. Future studies may be aimed to further characterize the molecular mechanisms of TLR activation in chickens or to exploit TLR agonists as vaccine adjuvants.     

Response of porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells to CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides

Exposure to bacterial DNA generates a "danger signal" that stimulates cellular elements of the mammalian immune system to proliferate and/or secrete cytokines. Stimulation is critically dependent on hexameric motifs that contain an unmethylated CpG dinucleotide: these are commonly found in bacterial but not vertebrate DNA. Different motifs are optimally stimulatory in different species. This work examines whether oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing CpG motifs stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pigs. Results show that pigs respond to CpG ODN by proliferating and secreting IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-alpha. By screening a large panel (>100) of ODNs, the palindromic hexamer 'ATCGAT' was identified as being optimally active in all animals examined (N=10). These findings are the first to establish the immunostimulatory activity of CpG ODN in pigs, and suggest that the therapeutic uses envisioned for these ODNs (as vaccine adjuvants and immunoprotective agents) may be applicable to husbandry animals.     

Lymphocyte activation as cytokine gene expression and secretion is related to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) isolate after in vitro homologous and heterologous recall of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from pigs vaccinated and exposed to natural infection

The present study evaluated the lymphocyte activation in PRRSV-vaccinated pigs subsequently exposed to natural infection by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with homologous vaccine and two heterologous PRRSV isolates. The responsiveness was assessed by determining IFN-γ secreting cells by ELISpot assay, lymphocyte CD8 phenotype by intracellular staining/flow cytometry, cytokine gene expression by real-time quantitative PCR and cytokine secretion by ELISA. Conventional pigs were weaned at 28 days of age and inoculated intramuscularly (IM) or needle-less intradermally (ID) with a modified-live PRRSV vaccine suspended in adjuvant, while control pigs were injected with adjuvant alone (ADJ). Blood samples were collected at vaccination, 35 days post-vaccination and after 35 days post-exposure to natural infection by a heterologous field strain. Thirty-five days post-vaccination, PRRSV vaccine induced a low but significant virus-specific IFN-γ secreting cell response upon stimulation with both the vaccine strain and the two isolates in vaccinated pigs. Conversely, after 35 days post-exposure, only the vaccine strain and the BS/114/S isolate triggered this response. Intracellular staining showed that PRRSV-specific immune cells reacting upon vaccine strain and BS/114/S stimulation were mostly CD8⁺ IFN-γ producing cells whereas the stimulation with BS/55 isolate induced an IFN-γ production associated to the CD8^?IFN-γ⁺ phenotype. At 35 days post-vaccination, PBMC from vaccinated pigs showed lower IL-10 expression and release, and higher TNF-α gene expression upon stimulation with both the vaccine and viral isolates. After infection, both cytokines were not differently modulated in different groups. Immune parameters give evidence that IFN-γ secreting cells in the peripheral blood can be elicited upon PRRSV infection although vaccination itself does not stimulate high levels of these reactive cells. Moreover, the cross-reactivity against divergent PRRS viruses can show a different intensity and be differently associated with cytotoxic CD8⁺IFN-γ⁺ as well as CD8^?IFN-γ⁺ cells. Overall, the obtained data confirmed that the immune activation against PRRSV is not dependent on the genetic divergence of the virus. Especially after infection, a different immune reactivity was evident upon stimulation with the different isolates in terms of frequency and CD8 phenotype of PRRSV-specific IFN-γ producing cells. The modulation of cytokines in vaccinated pigs appeared to be more dependent on vaccination or infection conditions than on stimulation by different isolates, and the changes of IL-10 more relevant than those of TNF-α at gene and protein levels. Moreover, under the conditions of this study, the PRRSV vaccine administered via the intradermal route by a needle-less device was confirmed to induce an immune response comparable or in some cases higher than the intramuscular route.     

猪繁殖与呼吸综合征疫苗佐剂研究进展

疫苗免疫是预防和控制传染病的主要措施,但对于猪繁殖与呼吸综合征,疫苗免疫存在免疫效率低与安全性差的问题,效果并不理想。因此,如何在安全剂量下提高动物机体的免疫力,成为疫苗研究的热点之一。试验证明细胞因子、化学试剂和微生物产物等几种免疫佐剂可以增强猪繁殖与呼吸综合征疫苗的免疫效果。在研究的9个疫苗佐剂中,IL-2、IL-12、IFN-α、poly IC和poly ICLC、CpG ODN等能增强猪繁殖与呼吸综合征疫苗的细胞免疫效应;CpG ODN和霍乱毒素能显著提高猪繁殖与呼吸综合征疫苗的抗体产生水平;IL-2和CpG ODN在临床实验中能增强疫苗对实验动物的保护,是最具潜力的免疫佐剂。     

体外筛选对犬具有免疫刺激活性的CpG寡脱氧核苷酸

建立并优化犬特异性寡脱氧核苷酸(CpGODN)的体外筛选条件,筛选自行设计的对犬具有免疫刺激活性的CpGODN。用CpGODN2006对犬的免疫细胞进行刺激,测定细胞增殖能力。对免疫细胞的来源、细胞铺板浓度、CpGODN的刺激时间和浓度及增值能力的测定方法等条件进行优化。并对自行设计的CpGODN进行了初步筛选。结果显示,犬脾细胞对CpGODN的反应性比外周血单个核细胞好。在犬脾细胞为6×105个/孔,37℃5%CO2条件下,经10mg/LCpGODN2006刺激48h,使脾细胞明显增生。3H-TdR掺入法测得的结果比MTT法更敏感。自行设计的CpGODNR008能显著地刺激犬脾细胞增生,且优于CpGODN2006(P0.05)。结果表明,优化了犬特异性CpGODN的体外筛选条件,并筛选出了对犬具有免疫刺激活性的CpGODN。     

猪圆环病毒核酸疫苗pcDNA-PCV-ORF2-ISS的构建及分子佐剂联合免疫研究

用PCR方法扩增猪圆环病毒PCVwhn株编码CAP蛋白的基因ORF2,同时人工合成一段CpG序列,并设计上下游引物,进行扩增,定向插入到真核表达载体pcDNA3.1(+)中,构建新型核酸疫苗(pcDNA-PCV-ORF2-ISS),并进行了酶切和测序鉴定.用构建的pcDNA-PCV-ORF2-ISS质粒以及pcDNA-PCV-ORF2与5种细胞因子分子佐剂质粒(IL-6/4、IL-2、IL-4、IL-6、IFN-γ真核表达质粒)联合对仔猪进行免疫试验.免疫后用间接ELISA法测定猪圆环病毒Ⅱ型特异性抗体IgG,用流式细胞仪测定猪血液CD3+、CD4+和CD8+T细胞亚类的数量.结果显示,成功构建含CpG免疫刺激序列的猪圆环病毒Ⅱ型核酸疫苗;pcDNA-PCV-ORF2-ISS在仔猪免疫实验能诱导细胞免疫并产生特异性抗体(P<0.05);用5种细胞因子分子佐荆质粒与pcDNA-PCV-ORF2疫苗同时免疫能显著提高DNA疫苗的免疫效果(P<0.05).分子佐剂免疫增强效果次序为:IL-6、CpG、IL-6/4、IL-2、IL-4和IFN-γ,表明IL-6和CpG最佳.     

The in vitro effects of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides on the expression of cytokine genes in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) head kidney cells

Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides with CpG motifs (CpG-ODNs) have gained attention because it elicits strong innate immune responses. CpG-ODNs promote the production of T-helper 1(T(H)1) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In fish, knowledge of the effects of CpG-ODNs on the expression of cytokine genes is scarce. In this study, we report that CpG-ODNs induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in common carp head kidney leucocytes in vitro. Evidence of a T(H)1 type immune stimulation was observed as the fish homologs of IP-10 (interferon gamma-inducible protein 10; CXCL10) and MCP (monocyte chemotactic protein a CC-chemokine) were induced by CpG. Interleukin 10, a cytokine inhibitory factor, failed to be induced by CpG. These results suggest a robust immune stimulation can be achieved by CpGs and has a potential as an immunostimulant in aquaculture.     

The use of quantitative PCR for identification and quantification of Brachyspira pilosicoli, Lawsonia intracellularis and Escherichia coli fimbrial types F4 and F18 in pig feces

This field study explored the cytokine expression in intestinal tissue and serum from 19 diarrhoeic and 9 healthy pigs in herds with a long-time history of Lawsonia intracellularis-infection. The disease, proliferative enteropathy (PE), is associated with diarrhoea and poor performance in growers and haemorrhagic diarrhoea and sudden death in finisher pigs, but the immunopathology is poorly understood. Histopathology, demonstration of L. intracellularis and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) in intestinal tissue by PCR, and detection of serum antibodies to L. intracellularis, were performed. The presence of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-α, IFN-γ, TNF-α and TGF-β in sera was determined by immunoassays, and intestinal mRNA expression of these cytokines plus IL-12p40 was determined by qPCR. Intestinal specimens from pigs with intestinal adenomatosis (n=2), proliferative haemorrhagic enteropathy or swine dysentery (n=2), and controls (n=2) were analysed by a genome wide porcine microarray. The clinical signs of PE were not always supported by the subsequent analyses, and the presence of PCV2 may have contributed to an increased mRNA expression for IFN-γ in intestinal specimens from some pigs. The limited gene expression in the microarray analyses and the limited expression of cytokines in both sera and intestines, indicate that the immune response is poorly activated in the initial course of an infection with L. intracellularis. However, the gene encoding for insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) was up-regulated in two pigs with prominent mucosal proliferation.     

Neutrophil function of neonatal foals is enhanced in vitro by CpG oligodeoxynucleotide stimulation

Rhodococcus equi is an intracellular bacterium that causes pneumonia in foals and immunocompromised adult horses. Evidence exists that foals become infected with R. equi early in life, a period when innate immune responses are critically important for protection against infection. Neutrophils are innate immune cells that play a key role in defense against this bacterium. Enhancing neutrophil function during early life could thus help to protect foals against R. equi infection. The objective of our study was to determine whether in vitro incubation with the TLR9 agonist CpG 2142 would enhance degranulation and gene expression of cytokines and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) by neutrophils collected from foals at 2, 14, and 56 days of life, and to determine whether these stimulated responses varied among ages. Neutrophil degranulation was enhanced at all ages by in vitro stimulation with either CpG alone, R. equi alone, or in combination with either R. equi or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) (P<0.05), but not by in vitro stimulation with fMLP alone. There were no significant differences among ages in CpG-induced cytokine expression, except for IL-12p40, which was induced more at 56 days of age than on days 2 or 14. Collapsing data across ages, CpG 2142 significantly (P<0.05) increased IL-6 and IL-17 mRNA expression. We concluded that in vitro stimulation of foal neutrophils with CpG enhances their function by promoting degranulation and inducing mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-17, regardless of age.     

CpG oligodeoxynucleotides stimulate canine and feline immune cell proliferation.

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) with unmethylated CpG dinucleotide motifs may be useful as non-specific immune system stimulants and adjuvants for protein or nucleic acid vaccines in humans and other primates. They may also be useful in cancer immunotherapy and in the modulation of allergic responses or mucosal immunity. To begin to determine the potential utility of CpG ODN technology in small animal veterinary medicine, we developed procedures to analyze the effects of CpG ODN on canine and feline blood, spleen and lymph node (LN) cells. We find that certain CpG ODN cause good lymphocyte proliferation (as monitored by [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation) in both canine and feline spleen and LN cells, but not in blood. This overall stimulatory effect of CpG ODN on spleen and LN cells is CpG dependent. The reverse sequences, GpC ODNs, do not cause significant lymphocyte proliferation in the cat; however, dogs are more sensitive to stimulation by the non-specific immune effects of the phosphorothioate backbone. We conclude that unmethylated CpG ODNs may also have potential uses as immune stimulants for vaccines and other antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine for companion animals.     

猪接种PRRSV Nsp2Δ1882-2241弱毒株后血清细胞因子的变化特征

为了解Nsp2Δ1882-2241缺失后弱化的高致病性PRRSV（TJM株）对宿主免疫学应答的刺激机理,本研究分析了免疫猪血清中的细胞因子及变化规律。将14头4周龄易感仔猪随机分为3组：第1组接种PRRSV TJM-F92株,为免疫组;第2组接种高致病性PRRSV TJ-F5毒株,为攻毒组;第3组不接种疫苗及病毒,为对照组。接种后28d,用TJ-F5毒株攻击试验猪,于不同时间点采集血样,用ELISA法测定血清中的PRRSV抗体、IL-2、IL-10、IL-12p40、TNF-α、IFN-α和IFN-β水平。结果显示：（1）与对照组和攻毒组相比,免疫组猪IL-12p40水平持续上调,于免疫后28d受PRRSV强毒攻击后,其水平开始缓慢降低,但仍高于攻毒后的对照组。（2）免疫组IL-2水平在接种疫苗后的前21d内无明显升高且低于攻毒组,在受到强毒攻击后其IL-2水平却有明显升高。（3）免疫组IL-10水平与对照组无明显差别,并在免疫14d后一直显著低于攻毒组（P〈0.01）。（4）免疫组接种疫苗后的前21d内,TNF-α水平保持稳定,28d明显上调。攻毒组TNF-α水平0～28d一直低于对照组,且在21d达到最低（P〈0.01）。免疫组在28d受强毒攻击后,其TNF-α水平下降且在攻毒7d时最为明显（P〈0.01）,此后恢复到正常水平。（5）免疫组免疫后28d时IFN-α水平升高,在受到强毒攻击后再次显著降低（P〈0.01）。免疫组IFN-β水平一直低于对照组和攻毒组,不因强毒攻击而变化。以上结果提示,IL-12上调在PRRSV免疫保护中起明显作用;另外,上调TNF-α及下调IL-10都是基因缺失疫苗发挥效力的潜在机制。     

Cytokine expression, glucocorticoid and growth hormone changes after porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV-1) infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated naturally exposed pigs

The objective of this paper was to study the changes of some cytokines and neuroendocrine hormones in vaccinated and unvaccinated pigs that were naturally infected by a PRRSV-1 (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus) heterologous field strain. We analyzed gene expression of pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-6), pro-immune (IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in PBMC, as well as hormonal (GH and cortisol) levels in blood samples of pigs obtained in a field trial previously reported [Martelli P, Gozio S, Ferrari L, Rosina S, De Angelis E, Quintavalla C, et al. Efficacy of a modified-live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccine in pigs naturally exposed to a heterologous European (Italian cluster) field strain: clinical protection and cell-mediated immunity. Vaccine 2009;27:3788-99]. All vaccinated pigs showed an increase in pro-inflammatory and pro-immune cytokine gene expression with respect to controls and a prompt increase in GH that could be consistently associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines in sustaining innate immunity; moreover, the higher levels of cortisol indicates the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response. In contrast, unvaccinated pigs showed down-regulation of the cortisol and GH responses, and the pro-inflammatory and pro-immune cytokines remained at a basal or low level, with an increase of TNF-α and IL-6 in association with a higher level of IL-10 in the late phase of natural infection. The associated trends of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines together with the cortisol level demonstrate that a previous vaccination promotes an early immune responsiveness in pigs and a more efficient control of inflammation in the late phase of infection with a heterologous PRRSV isolate; both events could sustain clinical protection.     

Proinflammatory cytokine expression in the lung of pigs with porcine circovirus type 2-associated respiratory disease

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes a significant health problem for the swine industry worldwide. In this study, we investigated the cytokine expression profiles (IFN-γ, IL-1α, IL-8, and IL-10) in the lungs of pigs with PCV2-associated respiratory disease. The mRNA expressions of IL-1α and IL-8 were significantly up-regulated in pigs with PCV2-associated respiratory disease, while IL-10 expression was not detected. These results suggest that the increased expressions of proinflammatory cytokines in the lungs may play an important role in the immunopathologic response in pigs with PCV2-associated respiratory disease.     

地锦草总黄酮对小鼠免疫功能及细胞因子mRNA表达影响

探讨地锦草总黄酮对小鼠免疫功能及细胞因子IL-2、IL-12、IFN-γ、TNF-αmRNA表达影响。将小鼠随机分成4组：地锦草总黄酮高剂量组（H组）、中剂量组（M组）、低剂量组（L组）和纯水对照组（C组）,连续灌胃9 d后,检测其单核巨噬细胞吞噬功能、2%绵羊红细胞诱导的小鼠迟发型变态反应、肝脏指数和脾脏指数,并用逆转录酶-聚合酶链式反应的方法检测脾脏IL-2、IL-12、IFN-γ和TNF-αmRNA表达水平。结果显示,地锦草总黄酮3个剂量组脾脏指数、廓清指数（K）、吞噬指数（α）、24 h足跖增厚值均显著高于C组;M组和H组肝指数显著高于C组（P〈0.01）;3个剂量组均能提高IL-2、IL-12、IFN-γ和TNF-αmRNA的表达水平,与C组相比,H组最显著。试验结果表明,地锦草总黄酮能有效提高机体的免疫功能及IL-2、IL-12、IFN-γ和TNF-αmRNA表达。     

Identification of a potent immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotide from Streptococcus thermophilus lacZ

Immunostimulatory sequences of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), such as CpG ODNs, are potent stimulators of innate immunity. Here, we identified a strong immunostimulatory CpG ODN, which we named MsST, from the lac Z gene of Streptococcus (S.) thermophilus ATCC19258, and we evaluated its immune functions. In in vitro studies, MsST had a similar ability as the murine prototype CpG ODN 1555 to induce inflammatory cytokine production and cell proliferation. In mouse splenocytes, MsST increased the number of CD80+CD11c+and CD86+CD11c+ dendritic cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. We also analyzed the effects of MsST on the expression of regulatory cytokines by real-time quantitative PCR. MsST was more potent at inducing interleukin-10 expression than the ODN control 1612, indicating that MsST can augment the regulatory T cell response via Toll-like receptor 9, which plays an important role in suppressing T helper type 2 responses. These results suggest that S. thermophilus , whose genes include a strong Immunostimulatory sequence-ODN, is a good candidate for a starter culture to develop new physiologically functional foods and feeds.