title: Preliminary study on the relationship between dexamethasone and pathogen susceptibility on crucian carp (Carassius auratus).
abstract: Dexamethasone, a known immunosuppressant, can inhibit the immune response and increase the amount of pathogen in body, but the role of dexamethasone affecting susceptibility of crucian carp (Carassius auratus) to pathogen is unclear. The effects of dexamethasone on susceptibility of crucian carp to Aeromonas hydrophila were investigated in this study. The fish were divided into four groups randomly and injected intraperitoneally by dexamethasone for 0 day (group D), 3 days (group C), 6 days (group B), and 9 days (group A), respectively. The serum lysozyme activity was significantly declined in group A, B and C. Relative immune gene expression such as il-1β, cxcl-8, tnfα and crp in kidney were down-regulation compared to group D. After that crucian carp were infected with A. hydrophila, crucian carp treated by dexamethasone had higher mortality (group A 95%, group B 76%, group C 31%) when compared to group D (4% mortality); the amount of pathogen in was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in liver, kidney and spleen of fish in group A-C compared to group D. These results implicated that higher susceptibility caused by dexamethasone may be induced by the decrease of lysozyme activity and the down-regulation of some immune genes.
authors.affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Zhou
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Guang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. Electronic address: feiling@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Northwest A&F University, Xinong Road 22nd, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. Electronic address: wanggaoxue@126.com.
authors.forename: Gao-Xue
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D016980:Aeromonas hydrophila / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal / Q000662:veterinary; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone
keywords: Aeromonas hydrophila; Crucian carp; Dexamethasone; Immune gene; Lysozyme; Susceptibility