title: Effect of levamisole on the immune response of chickens to infection with Eimeria tenella.
abstract: The effect of levamisole on the immunization to coccidiosis in chickens was investigated. The protection to the challenge infection with Eimeria tenella was higher in those chickens immunized by inoculating a small number of oocysts of E. tenella and administered orally with levamisole at dosage levels of 1.25 to 5 mg/kg body weight, once daily for 3 days, one week after immunization than in immunized and levamisole-untreated or unimmunized and levamisole-treated chickens. The activities of peritoneal macrophages of chickens from the immunized and levamisole-treated group were higher than those of chickens from the other groups. Furthermore, serum antibody titers and the leucocyte migration inhibitory factor-inducing activities measured in immunized and levamisole-treated chickens reflected the immune state of chickens.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004539:Eimeria / Q000276:immunology; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects; D007114:Immunization / Q000662:veterinary; D007961:Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007978:Levamisole / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007961:Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D007978:Levamisole