Interferon-gamma expression and infectivity of Toxoplasma infected tissues in experimentally infected sheep in comparison with pigs

Livestock animals are a potential risk for transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans. Sheep and pigs still remain an important source because their meat is often eaten undercooked which has been regarded as a major route of infection in many countries. Moreover, porcine tissues are processed in many food products.In the current study, the IFN-gamma (T-helper 1 cells), IL-4 (Th2 cells) and IL-10 mRNA (Treg cells) expression by blood mononuclear cells, and the serum antibody response against Toxoplasma gondii total lysate antigen, recombinant T. gondii GRA1, rGRA7, rMIC3 and rEC2, a chimeric antigen composed of MIC2, MIC3 and SAG1, was studied in sheep the first two months after a T. gondii infection and compared with these responses in pigs. At the end of this period, the parasite distribution in heart, brain and two skeletal muscles in sheep was compared with this in pigs.Whereas the parasite distribution was similar in sheep and pigs, the antibody response differed considerably. In sheep, antibodies appeared against all tested T. gondii antigens, but mainly against rGRA7, rMIC3₂₃₄₃₀₇ and TLA whereas in pigs only rGRA7-specific antibodies could be demonstrated. Also, the cytokine response differed. Both in sheep and pigs an IFN-gamma response occurred which seemed to be a slightly more pronounced in sheep. In sheep, also IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA expression showed an increase, but later than IFN-gamma and with more variation. However, in pigs no such increase was seen.As concerning diagnosis, results indicate that serum antibodies against GRA7 in live sheep and pigs and heart tissue for bioassay and qPCR in slaughtered animals are the best targets to demonstrate presence of T. gondii infection.     

Expression of cytokines and respiratory burst activity of milk cells in response to Azadirachta indica during bovine mastitis

The immuno therapeutic potential of hydro-methanolic extract of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) was studied during bovine clinical mastitis (CM). The somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC), milk differential leukocyte count (DLC), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide anion (O₂ ⁻) production and interleukin- 2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) cytokines expression were studied before and after intramammary infusion of A. indica extract in diseased cows. The results revealed that A. indica treatment significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the SCC, TBC, milk neutrophil percent and significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced milk lymphocyte percent, H₂O₂ and O₂ ⁻ production by milk cells. The IL-2 and IFN-γ were expressed in normal healthy cows and diseased cows after A. indica treatment, whereas both the cytokines could not be expressed in cows treated with antibiotic and in untreated diseased cows. The results of the present study indicated anti inflammatory, antibacterial and immunomodulatory potential of the herb, these activities could be due to the presence of bioactive principle in the extract. This is a preliminary trial indicated beneficial effect of the herb against bovine mastitis it can be developed as an alternative therapy where the use of antibiotics is normally restricted.     

Infection of normal C3H/HeN mice with Taenia saginata asiatica oncospheres

Normal C3H/HeN female mice were used to develop an animal model of Taenia saginata asiatica oncosphere infection. The host cellular immune response in this model was analyzed by a cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cytokine ELISA) and flow cytometry. Tumor-like cysts containing cysticerci were recovered from the inoculation sites of female mice 7 weeks postinfection with the T. saginata asiatica oncospheres. A sharp increase and sustained elevation in the ability of spleen cells to produce interferon-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 revealed that cellular immunity played an important role during the infection. An immediate increase in the levels of IL-6 at 1 week postinfection indicated the induction of a local acute inflammatory response. However, no significant change in the levels of IL-10 indicated that Th2 cells were not involved in this immune response. The patterns of cell distribution revealed by flow cytometry also supported the same finding. These results suggested that Th1 cells played a major role in the immune response in C3H/HeN mice during the early stages of the oncosphere infection and that the Th2 response was not induced during the stage of cysticercus formation.     

Systemic cytokine profiles of mice vaccinated with naked DNAs encoding six open reading frame antigens of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)

The objective of this study was to characterize the murine immune response to vaccination with DNAs encoding each of six porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) open reading frames (ORFs). After intramuscular vaccination with the naked DNAs, blood was taken on days post-infection (DPI) 7 and 35 and subjected to Bio-Plex cytokine assays. ORF3 elicited high levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α (P < 0.001) and decreased IL-12 levels (P < 0.001) on DPI 7, and was lethal for nine of the 15 vaccinated mice, which died on DPIs 4, 6, 9, and 10. The remaining six mice showed general prostration but then recovered. The clinical signs correlated with the systemic TNF-α and IL-12 levels. ORF1 vaccination elevated T-helper (Th)1 (IFN-γ; P < 0.001) and Th2 (IL-13; P < 0.05) cytokine levels on DPI 35, while ORF2 markedly elevated the expression of the humoral immunity- and Th-2-related cytokine IL-10 (P < 0.001) on DPI 35. These observations provide insights into the immune responses generated by each PCV2 ORF.     

Tumor Necrosis Factor and Interleukin-6 Activity and Endotoxin Concentration in Peritoneal Fluid and Blood of Horses with Acute Abdominal Disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) activities and endotoxin concentration in blood and peritoneal fluid of 155 adult horses with acute abdominal disease (colic). Samples also were obtained from 20 healthy adult horses. Blood and peritoneal fluid supernatant TNF and IL-6 activities and endotoxin concentration were significantly greater in horses with colic, compared with healthy horses. In horses with colic, the peritoneal fluid endotoxin concentration and TNF and IL-6 activities were significantly greater than those in blood. Within the colic group, peritoneal fluid IL-6 activity was the analyte that was most frequently increased. Blood and peritoneal fluid supernatant TNF and IL-6 activities were significantly greater when endotoxin was detected in the same sample. Blood and peritoneal fluid IL-6 activity was significantly greater in horses with inflammatory or strangulating lesions, compared with horses having nonstrangulating or noninflammatory lesions. Compared with all other data categories, diagnostic accuracy for nonsurvival was greatest (80%) when blood IL-6 activity exceeded 60 units/mL. The results of this study indicate that endotoxin was present in the peritoneal cavity of at least one third of horses with any acute disease of the abdomen. In horses presented for colic, blood or peritoneal fluid IL-6 activity was more useful than either TNF activity or endotoxin concentration for distinguishing lesion type. Although diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of nonsurvival was good for all of the analytes, negative values were more useful in the prediction of a favorable outcome than were abnormally increased values in the prediction of mortality.     

n-3多不饱和脂肪酸对动物炎症·免疫和细胞因子的调节作用

综述了n-3多不饱和脂肪酸对动物炎症、感染和细胞因子的作用效果。     

黄条鰤白介素-1β基因克隆及其免疫应答分析

白介素-1β是一种典型的促炎细胞因子,参与调控免疫细胞增殖、分化和凋亡等过程。本研究从黄条鰤(Seriola aureovittata)中鉴定到2个白介素-1β分子(分别命名为SaIL-1β1和SaIL-1β2)。SaIL-1β1全长cDNA序列为1 292 bp,开放阅读框长度为828 bp,编码275个氨基酸;SaIL-1β2 cDNA序列为1 337 bp,开放阅读框长度为960 bp,编码319个氨基酸。SaIL-1β1和SaIL-1β2编码的蛋白均含有IL-1保守的结构域和12个β折叠,具有结构上的保守性。组织表达分布显示,SaIL-1β1在头肾中表达量最高,脾脏和肝脏次之;而SaIL-1β2在鳃中表达量最高,头肾和脾脏次之。脂多糖(LPS)刺激后,SaIL-1β1和SaIL-1β2在头肾和脾脏中的表达量均显著增加。在头肾中,LPS刺激后6 h,SaIL-1β1急剧上升至对照组的10.03倍(P<0.05),随后逐渐回落,在12、24、48、72 h分别为对照组的7.15、4.09、2.71、3.03倍(P<0.05);在刺激后6 h,SaIL-1β2表达量急剧上升至对照组的11.49 倍(P<0.05),最后逐渐回落,48 h恢复至正常水平,72 h下降至对照组的0.29倍(P<0.05)。脾脏中,LPS刺激后6 h,SaIL-1β1表达量急剧上升至对照组的6.59倍(P<0.05),随后逐渐回落;SaIL-1β2转录水平表达模式与SaIL-1β2相似。综上,本研究在黄条鰤中鉴定了2种白介素-1β分子,并探讨了其在免疫应答中的表达规律,为研究白介素-1β分子在黄条鰤抗菌免疫中的作用提供了基础。     

Different cytokine patterns induced by Helicobacter pylori and Lactobacillus acidophilus extracts in PBMCs of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a degenerative inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. AAA is characterized by abdominal aortic dilatation more than 3 cm and is often asymptomatic, but the rupture of aneurysm can lead to death. Age, smoking and male sex are major predisposing factors of AAA.This study compares the effect of Helicobacter (H.) pylori and Lactobacillus (L.) acidophilus on the cytokine profile of PBMCs of 5 men with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and 5 men with normal/insignificant angiography, CT-Scan and ultrasonography results in the single-culture and in the co-culture with HUVECs. IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-17 F, IL-21, IL-22, IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured in culture supernatants using a commercial fluorescent-labeled-bead assay.In general, CagA+ H. pylori-extract induced higher production of IFN-γ, IL-13 and IL-21 by PBMCs. Treatment of patients’ PBMCs with CagA⁺ H. pylori-extract induced Th2 cytokines while treatment of controls’ PBMCs with CagA⁺ H. pylori-extract increased Th1 cytokines. In the co-culture, however, patients’ PBMCs produced Th1 cytokines irrespective of extract treatment, while controls’ PBMCs produced Th2 cytokines and decreased IL-10. CagA+ H. pylori- as well as L. acidophilus-extract induced higher levels of IL-9 by controls’ PBMCs in co-culture with HUVECs than patients (P = 0.05 and P = 0.01).The cytokine pattern of PBMCs induced by CagA+ H. pylori- and L. acidophilus-extracts in the co-culture with HUVECs shows differences in AAA patients and in comparison to controls. Decreased secretion of IL-9, IL-21 and IL-22 by PBMCs of patients treated with CagA+ H. pylori extract in co-culture, as opposed to non-AAA controls may indicate the active role ECs play in AAA. Simultaneous production of IL-10 and Th1 cytokines in patients and pronounced Th2 cytokines in controls in response to both bacteria may point to the inherent differences between patients and controls, which need further investigation.     

共轭亚油酸免疫学研究进展

CLA是一类含十八碳二烯酸次生衍生的共轭多烯的多种位置与空间异构体的总称,仅“c9,t11”、“t10,c12”、“t9,t11”、“t10,t12”异构体具有较强的生物学功能。免疫学方面已研究表明:能够增加外周血液和肠系膜淋巴结中的IgGI、gA和IgM的含量,降低IgE的水平;增加促有丝分裂原和促进T、B淋巴细胞增殖调控;提高T细胞CD 特异效应物的功能和淋巴细胞的细胞毒性;以及激活巨噬细胞表达iNOS-mRNA、IL-1I、L-6I、L-4和TNF-α等细胞因子能力等的参与对机体免疫系统的调节作用。这些缓解动物免疫应激功能表达的调控机理,可能与激活巨噬细胞核转录因子———过氧化物酶增殖体激活受体-γ(PPAR-γ)的反应元件,降低干扰素γ诱导的炎性介质mRNA表达有关。