title: Increased number of intestinal villous M cells in levamisole -pretreated weaned pigs experimentally infected with F4ac⁺ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain.
abstract: Immunoprophylaxis of porcine postweaning colibacillosis (PWC) caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) expressing F4 fimbriae is an unsolved problem. Just as ETEC strains can exploit intestinal microfold (M) cells as the entry portal for infection, their high transcytotic ability make them an attractive target for mucosally delivered vaccines, adjuvants and therapeutics. We have developed a model of parenteral/oral immunization of 4-weeks-old pigs with either levamisole or vaccine candidate F4ac(+) non-ETEC strain to study their effects on de novo differentiation of antigen-sampling M cells. Identification, localization and morphometric quantification of cytokeratin 18 positive M cells in the ileal mucosa of 6-weeks-old pigs revealed that they were: 1) exclusively located within villous epithelial layer, 2) significantly numerous (P< 0.01) in levamisole pretreated/challenged pigs, and 3) only slightly, but not significantly numerous in vaccinated/challenged pigs compared with non-pretreated/challenged control pigs. The fact that levamisole may affect the M cells frequency by increasing their numbers, makes it an interesting adjuvant to study development of an effective M cell-targeted vaccine against porcine PWC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Valpotić
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kovšca Janjatović
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lacković
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Božić
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dobranić
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Svoboda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Valpotić
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popović
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D022361:Escherichia coli Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007082:Ileum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007114:Immunization; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D053538:Keratin-18 / Q000378:metabolism; D007978:Levamisole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008871:Microvilli / Q000473:pathology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D022361:Escherichia coli Vaccines; D053538:Keratin-18; D007978:Levamisole
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