title: Totally synthetic peptide-based immunocontraceptive vaccines show activity in dogs of different breeds.
abstract: In this study we examine the immunogenicity of totally synthetic peptide-based immunocontraceptive vaccines in dogs. Seven individual epitope-based vaccines were assembled in which a different T helper (T(H)) cell epitope derived from the sequence of F protein of canine distemper virus was synthesized in tandem with a peptide representing luteinising hormone releasing hormone (LHRH). Each of the individual T(H)-LHRH peptide vaccines was inoculated subcutaneously into dogs. The results demonstrate that five of the seven peptide vaccines were able to elicit strong anti-LHRH antibody responses in beagle foxhounds accompanied by a concomitant suppression in the levels of the hormones testosterone and progesterone in the majority of the animals. A pool of these five peptides was then used to inoculate five different breeds of dogs. All animals responded with high levels of anti-LHRH antibody. An investigation of the proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from inoculated dogs showed that the majority of breeds responded to each of the individual T helper cell epitope tested. The results provide a strategy for development of an immunocontraceptive vaccine for use in multiple breeds of dogs.
authors.affiliation: Pfizer Animal Health, 45 Poplar Road, Parkville, 3052 Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Souravi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pagnon
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colantoni
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Newbold
authors.forename: Weiguang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003269:Contraception, Immunologic / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000276:immunology*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000276:immunology*; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology*