title: Cytokine gene expression in aborting and non-aborting dams and in their foetuses after experimental infection with Neospora caninum at 110 days of gestation.
abstract: Neospora caninum is a major cause of abortion in cattle. However, it is not known why not all infected animals abort. In this study, Th1 (IFN-γ), Th2 (IL4) and T reg (IL-10) cytokine gene expression was examined by real time PCR using the TaqMan approach in all of these dams and their foetuses after experimental infection with the isolate Nc-Spain7 at 110 days of pregnancy and euthanasia 6 weeks after infection. In prior published work, foetal death was observed in three of six infected dams and transplacental infection in all the 6 infected foetuses. In the spleen of the dams, IL-4 expression was down-regulated in dams with aborted/non viable foetuses compared to both uninfected dams (controls, n=3) and infected dams with live fetuses at euthanasia. In the lymph nodes draining the placenta, up-regulated expression of IL-4 was observed in infected dams with live foetuses compared to control dams. In the placenta, infected dams with live foetuses had significantly up-regulated IFN-γ in both caruncle and cotyledon and up-regulated IL-10 in cotyledon compared to control dams. Infected live foetuses showed up-regulated expression of IFN-γ and IL-10 in foetal spleen, and showed downregulated expression of IL-4 in the thymus compared to control uninfected foetuses. Expression of any cytokine in the thymus was significantly lower compared to the levels observed in foetal spleen. The results indicate an up-regulated expression of Th1, Th2 and Treg in infected dams with live foetuses and in their foetuses. On the other hand, down-regulation of Th2 immune responses and Treg cytokines were observed in infected dams which had aborted or had non-viable foetuses at euthanasia, suggesting an immunological recovery of cytokine gene expression levels in dams a few weeks after an abortion occurred.
authors: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: Sonia.Almeria@uab.cat.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Almeria
authors: Departament de Ciencia Animal, Universitat de Lleida, Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, Spain.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Serrano-Pérez
authors: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Darwich
authors: Departament de Ciencia Animal, Universitat de Lleida, Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, Spain.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Mur-Novales
authors: Departament de Ciencia Animal, Universitat de Lleida, Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, Spain.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Garcia-Ispierto
authors: SEFaS, Dept. Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain.
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Cabezón
authors: Departament de Ciencia Animal, Universitat de Lleida, Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, Spain.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: López-Gatius
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018688:Neospora; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Abortion; Bovine neosporosis; Pregnant cattle; Real time RT-PCR; Second trimester of gestation