title: Babesia: the protective effects of killed Propionibacterium acnes on the infections of two rodent Babesia parasites in mice.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of killed Propionibacterium acnes on the infections of two rodent Babesia parasites in mice. Pre-treatment with "EqStim" (a commercially available immunostimulant containing killed P. acnes) showed significant resistance to both infections. To elucidate the immunological status in the mice, the concentrations of multiple cytokines were measured in serum collected from infected mice. After B. microti infection, the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12p70, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in the treated group were significantly lower than in the control group. In contrast, after B. rodhaini infection, only IL-12p70 and TNF-alpha were detectable at significantly higher levels in the treated group than in the control group. The present findings indicated the protective effects of killed P. acnes on rodent babesiosis even with different immune responses between the B. microti and B. rodhaini infections. Killed P. acnes might be a powerful tool for the control of serious livestock babesiosis.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iseki
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takabatake
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishigame
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Igarashi
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000276:immunology*; D041001:Babesia microti / Q000276:immunology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011425:Propionibacterium acnes / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D018664:Interleukin-12