title: Isoprinosine and levamisole immunomodulation in artificially reared neonatal pigs.
abstract: An experiment was conducted to determine the capability of isoprinosine (ISO) and levamisole (LEV) to augment delayed-type hypersensitivity and lymphocyte blastogenic reactions in artificially reared pigs. Sow-reared pigs (n = 15) were kept with their dams; artificially reared pigs (n = 15) were removed from sows within 2 days after parturition and reared artificially for 21 days. Isoprinosine was administered orally (75 mg/kg/day) from days 0 to 10. Levamisole (2 mg) was injected subcutaneously on days 5 and 10. Control pigs were given distilled water orally from days 0 to 10 and injected subcutaneously with 0.15M NaCl on days 5 and 10. Lymphocyte proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen were evaluated at week 2. The phytohemagglutinin skin-test responses were evaluated in all pigs at weeks 1 and 3 of the trial. Hematologic values, body weight, and mortality were evaluated each week. The skin-test responses and mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferative responses were lower (P less than 0.05) in artificially reared controls when compared with responses in sow-reared pigs. However, ISO and LEV enhanced (P less than 0.05) the responses in the artificially reared pigs to values comparable with those of the sow-reared controls. Body weight was greater (P less than 0.01) in sow-reared pigs than in artificially reared pigs; drug treatment did not influence weight gain. These data indicated that immunopotentiation of the cellular immune responsiveness of artificially reared pigs may be possible with ISO or LEV.
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007288:Inosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D007542:Inosine Pranobex / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007978:Levamisole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D013552:Swine / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007978:Levamisole; D007288:Inosine; D007542:Inosine Pranobex