Evaluation of multicomponent recombinant vaccines against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in mice

Background

Porcine contagious pleuropneumonia (PCP) is a highly contagious disease that is caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) and characterized by severe fibrinous necrotizing hemorrhagic pleuropneumonia, which is a severe threat to the swine industry. In addition to APP RTX-toxins I (ApxI), APP RTX-toxin II (ApxII), APP RTX-toxin III (ApxIII) and Outer membrane protein (OMP), there may be other useful antigens that can contribute to protection. In the development of an efficacious vaccine against APP, the immunogenicities of multicomponent recombinant subunit vaccines were evaluated.

Methods

Six major virulent factor genes of APP, i.e., apxI, apxII, apxIII, APP RTX-toxins IV (apxIV), omp and type 4 fimbrial structural (apfa) were expressed. BALB/c mice were immunized with recombinant ApxI ( rApxI), recombinant ApxII (rApxII), recombinant ApxIII (rApxIII) and recombinant OMP (rOMP) (Group I); rApxI, rApxII, rApxIII, recombinant ApxIV (rApxIV), recombinant Apfa (rApfa) and rOMP (Group II); APP serotype 1 (APP1) inactivated vaccine (Group III); or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (Control group), respectively. After the first immunization, mice were subjected to two booster immunizations at 2-week intervals, followed by challenge with APP1 Shope 4074 and APP2 S1536.

Results

The efficacy of the multicomponent recombinant subunit vaccines was evaluated on the basis of antibody titers, survival rates, lung lesions and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) detection of APP. The antibody level of Group I was significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P < 0.05). The survival rate of Group I was higher than that of Groups II and III (P < 0.05) and the control (P < 0.01). Compared with the other three groups, the lungs of Group I did not exhibit obvious hemorrhage or necrosis, and only showed weak and scattered fluorescent dots by IIF detection.

Conclusion

The result indicates that the multicomponent recombinant subunit vaccine composed of rApxI, rApxII, rApxIII and rOMP can provide effective cross-protection against homologous and heterologous APP challenge.     

痤疮丙酸杆菌对小鼠抗胸膜肺炎放线杆菌感染的研究

为研究痤疮丙酸杆菌(PA)对小鼠抗胸膜肺炎放线杆菌感染的影响,从人的面部皮肤分离得到革兰氏阳性短杆菌,通过培养性状观察、生化试验、PCR鉴定,证实7株菌为PA.经ELISA检测发现PA与猪传染性胸膜肺炎放线杆菌(APP)存在免疫交叉反应.以PA免疫小鼠15 d后用10倍LD50的APP攻毒,观察1周,最高保护率为60%;将制备的抗PA高免血清注射小鼠,分别用10倍LD50的APP血清1型、APP血清5型感染小鼠,保护率均为100%.结果表明,PA对APP血清1型,APP血清5型感染具有良好的保护作用.     

Tissue reaction and immunity in swine immunized with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae vaccines.

These studies were done to develop a subunit vaccine for swine that would protect against disease, but not create unacceptable tissue reactions at the immunization site. Swine were used to evaluate the local effects of subunit vaccines prepared from extracts of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 containing one of a wide variety of adjuvants. The antigen was an anionic fraction of a saline extract of A. pleuropneumoniae (ANEX). The adjuvants used were vegetable oils (peanut, sesame, canola, or corn oils, vitamin E, or Lipposyn II emulsion); mineral oil (Marcol-52) and other materials (aluminum hydroxide, polyethylene glycol, Quil-A, Amphigen, or Emulsigen-Plus). Two types of experiments were done. In the 1st set of experiments, pigs were given multiple simultaneous injections in different sites and euthanized on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, or 28. Tissues were examined for gross and histopathological lesions. In the 2nd set of experiments, 48 pigs were allocated to 6 groups and vaccinated twice with a vaccine containing ANEX antigen combined with one of various adjuvants. Antibody responses and protection from challenge were evaluated. Among the adjuvants that were tested, mineral oils induced protective immunity, although the mineral oil Marcol-52 resulted in severe tissue reactions. The vegetable oils induced little protective immunity, and some of them were quite irritating. The response to the other materials ranged from little irritation or protection induced by the vaccine containing aluminum hydroxide to effective protection without irritation after vaccination with ANEX/Amphigen or ANEX/Emulsigen-Plus combinations. In conclusion, swine were protected against disease by a subunit vaccine that did not create unacceptable tissue reaction at the immunization site.     

猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌菌影的制备与免疫试验

通过鲎素抗菌肽和超高静水压联合作用,制备出一种胸膜肺炎放线杆菌菌影。利用胸膜肺炎放线杆菌血清5型（CVCC263）制备菌影并检测其灭活率。CVCC263菌影疫苗接种免疫仔猪,二免14d后攻毒,每天测量体温,并观察精神状态,呼吸,食欲等。攻毒第8天对存活猪进行剖杀,测量肺部病变面积,进行病理检测。结果显示,免疫组抗体效价及血清中的IgG、IgM、IgA、IL-2、IL-4含量均较对照组显著增加。免疫组临床症状和肺部病变面积均小于对照组。CVCC263菌影疫苗免疫仔猪抗APP感染的保护效果是明显的,并且APP5型的菌影疫苗可对APP7型感染有交叉保护。     

Minimal inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial agents against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

Forty-five isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were tested for susceptibility to 12 antimicrobial agents using a microdilution method for the minimal inhibitory concentration determinations. These results confirmed the high prevalence of A. pleuropneumoniae strains resistant to antibiotics as reported earlier using the disc diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer method). While 36% of the isolates were resistant to the penicillins, 47% were resistant to chloramphenicol and 68% were resistant to tetracycline. Minimal inhibitory concentrations for the resistant isolates were approximately 32 times higher than those for the susceptible isolates to the above antibacterial agents. The isolates were in general weakly susceptible or resistant to spectinomycin, lincomycin, tiamulin and spiramycin whereas most of them were susceptible to gentamicin, trimethoprim and erythromycin. The susceptibility pattern was similar throughout the 1980 to 1984 period. The 14 serotype 5 isolates were more resistant to tetracycline but less resistant to chloramphenicol and the penicillins than the 28 serotype 1 isolates.     

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 5.

Two monoclonal antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 5, designated as 5MAb-1 and 5MAb-6, were characterized. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-inhibition tests with whole-cell antigens obtained from strains of serotype 1 through 12 of A pleuropneumoniae revealed that 5 MAb-1 bound to only serotype-5 strains. The epitope recognized by 5MAb-1 was a carbohydrate that was sensitive to periodate oxidation and resided on the structure of beta-1,6-linked D-galactose in an O-antigen polysaccharide of serotype-5 lipopolysaccharide. Analysis of these results revealed that the O-antigen polysaccharide of lipopolysaccharide was 1 of the antigenic determinants responsible for the serotype specificity of A pleuropneumoniae. On the other hand, 5MAb-6 reacted with strains of serotype 1 through 10 in varying degrees and its epitope was located on polypeptides sensitive to proteinase K. In an immunoblotting analysis, 5MAb-6 reacted with 2 polypeptide bands, with molecular weights of approximately 41,500 and 28,000, in the outer membrane protein-rich fraction obtained from strains of serotype 1 through 10. These results indicated that outer membrane proteins from several serotype strains of A pleuropneumoniae possessed common antigenic determinants.     

Overcoming immune tolerance during oral vaccination against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

In the preliminary study mice were vaccinated orally with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae microsphere oral vaccine. The lung and eye mucous membranes of these mice did not contain increased immunoglobulin A (IgA) following the initial oral vaccination, possibly through antibody persistence and the phenomenon of immune exclusion. A similar tendency was found for serum IgG. However, after the second vaccination, IgA still did not increase significantly, which could be attributed to immune suppression due to the possibility of the intestine inducing immune tolerance. Only the third vaccination overcame this effect and increased the level of IgA. In order to achieve a high systemic and local immune response this study attempted to overcome the initial tolerance to oral vaccination by using temporary immunosuppression, increasing antigen dose, and prolonging vaccine influence. Triamcinolone, used in the later productive phase of the immune response after the first and second vaccinations, but restricted in the inductive phase of the second and third vaccinations, could disable immune tolerance. Suppression of antibody production before the next induction of the immune response by an oral vaccine combined with suppression of cell-suppressor activity led to the creation of systemic immunity with the possibility of high levels of A. pleuropneumoniae growth inhibition. Increased antigen doses or durable consumption of antigen could overcome immune exclusion of antigen by primary antibodies. Even very low doses of vaccine (4.5 mg) could induce a primary immune response, and a dose increased by 10-fold for the second vaccination could overcome tolerance and maintain high systemic immunity. Chronic consumption of oral vaccine led to benefits in the quantity of local (not systemic) antibodies. The outcomes of the study can be adapted for practical oral immunization of pigs.     

猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌的血清型分型及毒力因子研究进展

根据荚膜多糖和脂多糖抗原表位的不同，猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌分为15个血清型，某些血清型问存在交叉反应，不同血清型甚至同一血清型不同菌株间的毒力大小不一样，致病性也有强弱之别。该菌的致病性与多种毒力因子密切相关，主要有外毒素、外膜蛋白、脂多糖、英膜多糖、转铁蛋白、脲酶等。本文综述了国内外对胸膜肺炎放线杆菌的几种主要毒力因子及血清型的研究进展。     

Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae (Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae). Serotypes 8, 3 and 6. Serological response and cross immunity in pigs

Immunity obtained by vaccination with Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae is type specific and protection will only be obtained against the serotype contained in the vaccine. Serotype 8 is closely related to serotypes 3 and 6 and the objective of the present study was therefore to examine if cross immunity between the three serotypes could be obtained at vaccination.     

Effects of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of amoxicillin against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

The bactericidal effects of amoxicillin at below minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae NB001 were studied in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, the efficacy of amoxicillin on experimentally induced A. pleuropneumoniae infection in disease-free pigs was evaluated. Nine pigs were divided into three groups and all three groups were housed in the same room. Group I pigs were given long-acting amoxicillin injection 22 h prior to A. pleuropneumoniae challenge. Group II pigs were also A. pleuropneumoniae challenged but not given long-acting amoxicillin. Group III pigs were not treated. In vitro, A. pleuropneumoniae growth was suppressed in porcine blood with amoxicillin at below MIC. In vivo, clinical signs of disease were absent or mild in group I during 50 h post-challenge, and serum amoxicillin concentration was already less than MIC from 15 h post-challenge. Infected group II controls were severely affected by the infection, and mortality reached 100% within 50 h post-challenge. All non-treated pigs in group III became infected with NB001 from infected control pigs, and they displayed severe clinical signs of disease within 24 h post-challenge of groups I and II, and died within 50 h post-challenge of groups I and II.     

猪传染性胸膜肺炎重组亚单位疫苗诱导小鼠免疫保护效果的观察

重组表达猪传染性胸膜肺炎放线杆菌6种主要毒力因子基因:apxⅠ、apxⅡ、apxⅢ、apxⅣ、apfa和omp,以重组蛋白rApxⅠ、rApxⅡ、rApxⅢ和rOMP组合免疫小鼠作为试验I组,重组蛋白rApxⅠ、rApxⅡ、rApxⅢr、OMPr、ApxⅣ和rApfa组合免疫小鼠作为试验Ⅱ组,PBS为对照组,分3次免疫小鼠,采用背部皮下多点注射,每次间隔2周,免疫剂量为0.2 mL/只,3免后1周分别以APP1型菌Shope 4074株(5×109cfu)和APP2型菌S1536株(5×1010cfu)进行攻毒试验。通过小鼠保护率与抗体效价的相关性研究、肺部病理变化及肺脏细菌的分布情况等指标进行综合评价。结果显示,试验Ⅰ组4种重组蛋白特异性抗体水平显著高于其他两组(P<0.05),对APP1型菌攻毒的保护率(9/10)明显高于试验Ⅱ组(5/10)和对照组(0/8),小鼠的免疫保护率与抗体效价之间存在显著正相关;且该组对APP2型菌攻毒的保护作用(无肺脏损伤)也明显优于其它两组(典型肺部损伤)。间接免疫荧光试验表明试验Ⅰ组对肺脏细菌的清除效果也明显优于其他两组。本试验揭示试验Ⅰ组对不同血清型APP攻击能够提供很好的交叉保护作用,从而为猪传染性胸膜肺炎新型疫苗的研制提供参考。     

Protective efficacy of conjugate vaccines against experimental challenge with porcine Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.

In an attempt to protect pigs against swine pleuropneumonia induced by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (SPAP) by neutralizing the effects of three virulence factors of A. pleuropneumoniae--the capsular polysaccharide (CP), the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the hemolysin protein (HP)--two subunit conjugate vaccines were prepared by covalently coupling the CP to the HP and the LPS to the HP. The CP, LPS, and HP were isolated from A. pleuropneumoniae, strain 4074, serotype 1, and the protective efficacy of the conjugate vaccines in swine experimentally infected with A. pleuropneumoniae was evaluated. Following a booster vaccination, a significant (P < 0.05) IgG antibody response to the CP, LPS, and HP was detected in the vaccinated pigs. The pigs vaccinated with the CP-HP and LPS-HP conjugates exhibited significantly less mortality (P < 0.05) and significantly greater weight gain (P < 0.001) than unvaccinated pigs. Vaccinated pigs exhibited significantly fewer and less extensive gross pulmonary lesions (P < 0.001) when compared with unvaccinated pigs. Thus, on the basis of mortality, weight gains, and pulmonary lesion formation, the two conjugate vaccines used in conjunction with one another provide noticeable protective efficacy against SPAP.     

猪传染性胸膜肺炎新型亚单位菌苗对小鼠的效力研究

利用大肠杆菌表达猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌的分泌毒素ApxⅠ、ApxⅡ、ApxⅢ，提取表达产物包涵体，再加入我国流行的猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌7型菌，和等量弗氏佐剂乳化后制成亚单位菌苗，免疫BALB／c小鼠，间隔2周加强免疫1次。每次免疫后采血检测毒素I、Ⅱ、Ⅲ的EuSA抗体和7型菌的血凝抗体，第2次免疫2周后用5LDso的猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌1型、7型菌株进行攻毒。结果发现第2次免疫后抗体水平显著升高，用2种血清型进行攻毒后其保护力分别为83．3％和91．7％，从死亡小鼠的体内分离到了攻毒菌株，初步的动物试验表明此种新型亚单位菌苗对同型和异型的APP菌株具有较好的保护力，为进一步研制高效的亚单位菌苗打下基础。     

Detection of antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 5 using an inhibition enzyme immunoassay.

An inhibition enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detection of antibodies against A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 5 (App-5) in pig sera, based on the inhibition of the binding of an App-5 specific monoclonal antibody was established. The monoclonal antibody (MAb 210-F11) was found to be directed against an epitope on the O-chain of App-5 LPS. In the inhibition EIA, highly purified App-5 LPS was used to coat microtitre plates. Serial dilutions of pig sera were added to the plates prior to the addition of the MAb 210-F11. The degree of binding of App-5 antibodies from pig sera was determined as the percentage inhibition of the MAb 210-F11. Pig serum from specific pathogen free (SPF) herds, from experimentally infected animals, and from acutely and chronically infected herds were tested. A serum dilution of 1/30 was found to be optimal, when using 50% inhibition as the discriminating inhibition percentage. No cross-reactivity was observed with serum from pigs infected with other App serotypes or bacteria isolated from the respiratory tract, such as A. suis and H. parasuis. The inhibition EIA will be used for surveillance of App-5 antibodies in SPF and conventional herds.     

The synergism of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and influenza A virus in experimentally-infected mice

Models for infecting mice with Influenza A-Virus (A/PR 8/34, H0N1) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (serotype 9) were developed in Han: NMRI-mice. After infecting mice with sublethal doses of one of the infectious agents, or both together as a mixed infection, animals were subsequently exsanguinated and the lungs washed by bronchoalveolar lavage. Clinical symptoms were recorded daily, examination of lung lavage fluid and sera as well as histology of the lungs were done. An increase in mortality, weight reduction and total cell yield of lung lavage fluid was observed after mixed infection. Compared to mixed infections total protein content and elastase in sera and lung lavage fluid after singular ones were raised not as much. In lung lavage fluid the total cell yield was increased more marked. These alterations indicate a synergistic effect of viruses and bacteria, developed by mixed infection as well as a bacterial infection on top of a viral one. Histopathologically the lung alterations were found to depend on the infectious agent and the mode of infection.     

猪传染性胸膜肺炎放线杆菌"菌影"的制备

本试验通过PCR扩增噬菌体PhiX174 的裂解基因E,将该基因连接到含有入PL/PR-cI857启动阻遏系统的pBV220 栽体中,从而使裂解基因E和启动阻遏系统入PL/PR-cI857串联成为温度敏感的裂解盒,构建重组质粒pBV-E.再将含有E基因的裂解盒插入到App-E.coli穿梭载体pGZRS-18中,构建胸膜肺炎放线杆菌打孔质粒.采用电击穿孔法将其转入胸膜肺炎放线杆菌中,含有打孔质粒的胸膜肺炎放线杆菌在28℃条件下生长到对数生长期,升温42℃诱导E基因的表达,制备了胸膜肺炎放线杆菌菌影.电镜观察菌影形态完整,内容物全部被释放到胞外.本试验为进一步研究菌影这一新型菌苗及佐剂奠定了基础.