title: Effects of vitamin E on reproductive protection in pregnant mice infected with pseudorabies virus (PRV) via regulating expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokine balance.
abstract: Vitamin E supplement and pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection have a reciprocal role in influencing the maternal immune response, a key determinant of the success or failure of pregnancy. However, it remains unknown whether vitamin E supplement provides protection against PRV-induced failure of pregnancy. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin E level (0, 75, 375, 750 and 1,500 mg/kg) on the reproduction performance, immunity and expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of PRV-challenged mice. The mortality and abortion rate of PRV-challenged mice decreased with the increase in vitamin E consumption. Overall, PBS-injected mice had a higher live embryo number and live litter size than PRV-challenged mice. Both live embryo number and live litter size of PRV-challenged mice increased with increasing vitamin E levels. Vitamin E supplement resulted in decreased concentration of serum IL-2 and IFN-γ, but increased concentration of serum IL-10. The concentration of serum IgG, IgA and IgM increased with increasing vitamin E levels. In the uterine and embryo mRNA abundance of TLR3, TLR7 and TLR9 was higher in PRV-challenged mice than that in PBS-injected mice fed on the same dosage of vitamin E. The mRNA abundance of embryonic TLR3, TLR7 and TLR9 in PRV-challenged mice decreased with increasing vitamin E levels. Collectively, vitamin E supplement may improve reproductive performance of PRV-challenged mice by attenuating PRV-induced negative effects on the cytokine profile, immunoglobulin synthesis and TLR expression.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: De
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zheng-feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Xiao-rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hai-tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wenxian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020964:Embryo Loss; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011247:Pregnancy; D011557:Pseudorabies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E