title: Recombinant bovine interleukin-12 stimulates a gut immune response but does not provide resistance to Cryptosporidium parvum infection in neonatal calves.
abstract: This study was undertaken to determine if administration of recombinant bovine interleukin-12 (rBoIL-12) could stimulate a cellular immune response that protected calves from an oral challenge inoculation with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. In a first experiment, rBoIL-12 intraperitoneally administered as a single dose 1 day before challenge inoculation, did not alter the course of infection. The percentage of immune competent cells and levels of cytokine gene expression in the ileo-cecal mucosa and in the draining lymph nodes of treated calves were similar to those of untreated control calves. However, when rBoIL-12 was subcutaneously administered daily from 2 days before infection to 2 days after infection, a consistent increase of T lymphocytes and an higher expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was detected. Again, treatment did not alter the course of infection. Similar results were obtained when rBoIL-12 was administered daily for 4 days beginning 2 days after oral inoculation. These data indicate that although rBoIL-12 stimulated a strong immune response in the gut of neonatal calves, the response was not able to provide protection from challenge inoculation with C. parvum oocysts.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanita', Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fayer
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zarlenga
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canals
authors.forename: Tine de
authors.initials: Td
authors.lastname: Marez
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gomez Munoz
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almeria
authors.forename: Louis C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gasbarre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal / Q000662:veterinary; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D033661:Oocysts / Q000276:immunology; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018664:Interleukin-12