Enhanced protective response and immuno-adjuvant effects of porcine GM-CSF on DNA vaccination of pigs against Aujeszky’s disease virus

This study was conducted to investigate whether the co-delivery of DNA encoding porcine cytokines would enhance a protective immune response in pigs to a Pseudorabies virus (PRV; or Aujeszky’s disease virus) DNA vaccine. Aujeszky’s disease in pigs results in respiratory and nervous symptoms with important economic losses. To evaluate cytokine effects, eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed for porcine GM-CSF, IL-2 and IFN-γ. cDNA for each of these cytokines was inserted under the control of a CMV promoter in the pcDNA3 plasmid and cytokine expression was confirmed after DNA transfection in various mammalian cell cultures by bioassays (GM-CSF and IL2) and ELISA (IFN-γ). Pigs were vaccinated by single intramuscular injection with plasmid DNA encoding PRV gB and gD along with various combinations of cytokine plasmid constructs. Pig serum was tested for the production of antibody by isotype specific anti-PRV ELISA. Pigs were then challenged with the highly virulent PRV strain NIA3 on day 21 after vaccination. The survival and growth rate of pigs were monitored for seven days after the viral challenge. The co-administration of GM-CSF plasmid increased the immune response induced by gB and gD PRV DNA vaccine. This immune response was characterized by an earlier appearance of anti-PRV IgG2, a significantly enhanced anti-PRV IgG1 and IgG2 antibody response, a significantly decreased and shortened viral excretion in nasal swabs and an improved protection to the viral challenge. In contrast, the co-administration of porcine IL-2 or IFN-γ had no adjuvant effects. Our results thus demonstrate for the first time that the application of porcine GM-CSF gene in a DNA vaccine formulation can exert immuno-adjuvant and protective effects with single vaccination in the natural host pig against Aujeszky’s disease.     

Attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis-mediated RNAi targeted to conserved regions against foot-and-mouth disease virus in guinea pigs and swine

In this study, specific sequences within three genes (3D, VP4 and 2B) of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) genome were determined to be effective RNAi targets. These sequences are highly conserved among different serotype viruses based on sequence analysis. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-expressing plasmids (p3D-NT19, p3D-NT56, pVP4-NT19, pVP4-NT65 and p2B-NT25) were constructed to express siRNA targeting 3D, VP4 and 2B, respectively. The antiviral potential of these siRNA for various FMDV isolates was investigated in baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells and suckling mice. The results show that these siRNA inhibited virus yield 10- to 300-fold for different FMDV isolates of serotype O and serotype Asia I at 48 h post infection in BHK-21 cells compared to control cells. In suckling mice, p3D-NT56 and p2B-NT25 delayed the death of mice. Twenty percent to 40% of the animals that received a single siRNA dose survived 5 days post infection with serotype O or serotype Asia I. We used an attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis (C500) vaccine strain, to carry the plasmid that expresses siRNA directed against the polymerase gene 3D (p3D-NT56) of FMDV. We used guinea pigs to evaluate the inhibitory effects of recombinant S. cho (p3D-NT56/S. cho) on FMDV infection. The results show that 80% of guinea pigs inoculated with 10⁹ CFU of p3D-NT56/S. cho and challenged 36 h later with 50 ID₅₀ of homologous FMDV were protected. We also measured the antiviral activity of p3D-NT56/S. cho in swine. The results indicate that 100% of the animals treated with 5 × 10⁹ CFU of p3D-NT56/S. cho were protected in 9 days.     

Acute phase protein changes in calves during an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by bovine respiratory syncytial virus

Bovine acute phase proteins (APPs), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp) and alpha₁-acid glycoprotein (AGP) were evaluated as inflammatory markers during an outbreak of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) caused by bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). Calves (n = 10) presented mild to moderate signs of respiratory disease. Secondary bacterial infections, Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma dispar as major species, were detected in tracheobronchial lavage samples. Concentrations of SAA and LBP increased at week 1 had the highest values at week 3 and decreased at week 4 of outbreak. Some calves had high Hp concentrations at week 3, but AGP concentrations did not rise during respiratory disease. Higher SAA, LBP and Hp concentrations at a later stage of BRD (week 3) were associated with the low BRSV-specific IgG₁ production, suggesting that these calves had enhanced inflammatory response to the secondary bacterial infection. In conclusion, APPs (especially SAA and LBP) are sensitive markers of respiratory infection, and they may be useful to explore host response to the respiratory infections in clinical research.     

Invasion and spread of single glycoprotein deleted mutants of Aujeszky''s disease virus (ADV) in the trigeminal nervous pathway of pigs after intranasal inoculation

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role which non-essential envelope glycoproteins play in the neuroinvasion and neural spread of ADV. The invasion and spread in the trigeminal nervous pathway with the Ka strain of ADV and its single deletion mutants Ka gI⁻, Ka gp63⁻ and Ka gIII⁻ were examined after intranasal inoculation in neonatal pigs by virus isolation and immunocytochemistry. Evaluation was performed in the nasal mucosa, trigeminal ganglion (1st neuronal level), pons-medulla (2nd neuronal level) and thalamus-cerebellum (3rd neuronal level). The Ka gIII⁻ mutant invaded up to the 3rd neuronal level of the trigeminal pathway and spread in a similar way to the parental Ka strain. The Ka gp63⁻ mutant invaded up to the 3rd neuronal level but the spread of this mutant was impaired at all the neuronal levels. The Ka gI⁻ mutant was least neuroinvasive and reached only up to the 2nd neuronal level. The results showed that glycoproteins gI and gp63 play a role in the invasion and spread of ADV in the nervous system. However, the gI glycoprotein appears to be the most important for neuroinvasion and neural spread of ADV in pigs. Therefore, gI deleted vaccines may be considered to be safer with respect to the neuroinvasion than vaccines carrying single deletions of other non-essential envelope glycoproteins.     

Improved immune response by ID-pVAC: a secretory DNA vaccine construct delivered by PLG micro particles against foot and mouth disease in guinea pigs

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks usually have devastating effects on the economy of countries were disease is endemic due to direct and indirect cost; most of them related to international trade embargoes of animals and animal products. Although currently used inactivated vaccine provides protection, it has several drawbacks like short duration of immunity, and the requirement for containment facilities. A DNA vaccine construct which expresses the secretary antigens, delivered through micro particles could be one of the alternate approaches to overcome these limitations. Present study is envisaged to prepare a DNA vaccine construct containing the VP1 sequence of FMDV serotype O in pVAC vector. DNA vaccine was formulated by adsorbing plasmid DNA construct on cationic micro particles and administered in guinea pigs @25 μg DNA vaccine construct per animal intramuscularly. Sera samples collected were analyzed by sandwich ELISA and SNT, shown enhanced immune response in PLG adjuvanted DNA vaccine. MTT and 3H Thymidine incorporation have shown good CMI responses to PLG adjuvanted DNA. When challenged with 100 gpid50 of homologous virus 5 of the six animals were protected.     

Immunisation of pigs with a major envelope protein sub-unit vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) results in enhanced clinical disease following experimental challenge

Disease exacerbation was observed in pigs challenged with virulent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) following immunisation with a recombinant GP5 sub-unit PRRSV vaccine (rGP5) produced in E. coli. Eighteen animals were divided into three experimental groups: group A were immunised twice IM with rGP5, 21 days apart; group B acted as positive controls (challenged but not immunised); and group C were negative controls. Pigs in groups A and B were challenged 21 days after the second immunisation of the group A animals. Following challenge, three pigs given rGP5 exhibited more severe clinical signs than the positive controls, including respiratory distress and progressive weight-loss. Although not statistically significant, the more severe disease exhibited by group A animals may suggest previous immunisation as a contributory factor. The mechanisms of these findings remain unclear and no association could be established between the severity of disease, non-neutralising antibody concentrations and tissue viral loads.     

Morphologic and phenotypic characteristics of myocarditis in two pigs infected by foot-and mouth disease virus strains of serotypes O or A

Myocarditis is often cited as the cause of fatalities associated with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection. However, the pathogenesis of FMDV-associated myocarditis has not been described in detail. The current report describes substantial quantities of FMDV in association with a marked mononuclear inflammatory reaction, interstitial edema and cardiomyocyte degeneration in the myocardium of two pigs that died during acute infection with either of two different strains of FMDV. Despite similar clinical progression, there was a marked variation in morphological characteristics of myocarditis with a significant difference in intensity of myocardial inflammation between the two cases. Phenotypic characterization of leukocyte populations revealed that in both cases, the inflammatory infiltrate consisted mainly of combinations of CD172a+, CD163+ and CD44+ cells, with a distinct subset of CD8+ cells, but with consistent lack of detection of CD3+ and CD21+ cells. This suggests that the FMDV-associated acute myocardial inflammation in the two observed cases consisted mainly of leukocytes of monocyte lineage, with a distinct population of CD8+ cells which, based on lack of CD3 detection in serial sections, are likely to represent NK cells.     

荧光RT-PCR检测活禽和禽产品中新城疫病毒中强毒株的研究

本研究中，采用TaqMan方法，根据新城疫病毒F基因核苷酸序列，设计合成多对引物，在上游引物和下游引物之间设计多条探针，通过对引物、探针的筛选，反应条件的选择和优化，建立了检测活禽和禽产品中中强毒力新城疫病毒的荧光RT-PCR方法。经对10株倍比稀释的中强毒力新城疫病毒的尿囊液进行检测后，表明所建立的荧光RT-PCR方法的检测极限在10^-5～10^-7”之间，略低于鸡胚病毒分离方法（10^-8～10^-9）；对收集到的所有新城疫病毒株和常见禽类病毒（包括禽流感病毒H5、H9亚型、IBDV、IBV、KIBV、CAAV、鸭瘟病毒、鸭肝炎病毒）进行检测，结果表明建立的方法不能检出其他的常见禽类病毒，特异性良好。进一步用建立的荧光RT-PCR检测人工感染SPF肉鸡的组织脏器、咽喉及泄殖腔拭子及临床样品中的中强毒力的新城疫病毒，并同鸡胚分离结果比较，结果表明荧光RT-PCR的敏感性同鸡胚分离试验基本一致。由于荧光RT-PCR方法快速，从处理样品开始到出结果只需不到4小时，而且检测样品量大，这就充分显示了其快速、敏感、特异的优势。在强调口岸快速通关的今天，该方法的建立无疑为活禽或禽产品的快速检验检疫提供了有效的手段。