Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147852
Title: RECOMBINANT BOVINE INTERLEUKIN-12 STIMULATES A GUT IMMUNE RESPONSE BUT DOES NOT PROVIDE RESISTANCE TO CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM INFECTION IN NEONATAL CALVES

Author
item PASQUALI, PAOLO - ROME, ITALY
item FAYER, RONALD - USDA, BELTSVILLE MD
item Zarlenga, Dante
item CANALS, ANNA - USDA, BELTSVILLE MD
item DEMAREZ, TINE - USDA, BELTSVILLE MD
item GOMEZ MUNOZ, TERESA - USDA, BELTSVILLE MD
item ALMERIA, SONIA - USDA, BELTSVILLE MD
item Gasbarre, Louis

Submitted to: Veterinary Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/6/2005
Publication Date: 2/18/2006
Citation: Pasquali, P., Fayer, R., Zarlenga, D.S., Canals, A., Demarez, T., Gomez Munoz, T.M., Almeria, S., Gasbarre, L.C. 2006. Recombinant bovine interleukin-12 stimulates a gut immune response but does not provide resistance to cryptosporidium parvum infection in neonatal calves. Veterinary Parasitology. 135:259-268.

Interpretive Summary: This study was undertaken to determine if administration of recombinant bovine cytokine called Interleukin-12 (rBoIL-12) could stimulate an immune response that protected calves from cryptosporidiosis, an intestinal disease cause by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. In a first experiment, rBoIL-12 was administered intraperitoneally as a single dose 1 day before challenge inoculation, and it did not alter the course of infection. The immunological parameters analyzed, such as the percentage of immune competent cells and levels of cytokine gene expression, in the gut of calves given the cytokine calves were similar to those of untreated control calves. When rBoIL-12 was subcutaneously administered daily from 2 days before infection to 2 days after infection, it stimulated an immune response characterized by a consistent increase of T lymphocytes and a substantially higher expression of certain cytokines, but again, treatment did not alter the course of infection. Similar results were obtained when rBoIL-12 was administered daily for 4 days beginning 2 days after oral inoculation with the parasites. These data indicate that although rBoIL-12 is able to stimulate a strong immune response in the gut of neonatal calves, the response was not able to provide protection from cryptosporidiosis.

Technical Abstract: This study was undertaken to determine if administration of recombinant bovine IL-12 (rBoIL-12) could stimulate a cellular immune response that protected calves from an oral challenge inoculation with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. In a first experiment, rBoIL-12 intraperitoneally administered as a single dose 1 day before challenge inoculation, did not alter the course of infection. The percentage of immune competent cells and levels of cytokine gene expression in the ileo-cecal mucosa and in the draining lymph nodes of treated calves were similar to those of untreated control calves. When rBoIL-12 was subcutaneously administered daily from 2 days before infection to 2 days after infection, a consistent increase of T lymphocytes and a substantially higher expression of IFN-y and TNF-alpha were detected. Again, treatment did not alter the course of infection. Similar results were obtained when rBoIL-12 was administered daily for 4 days beginning 2 days after oral inoculation. These data indicate that although rBoIL-12 stimulated a strong immune response in the gut of neonatal calves, the response was not able to provide protection from challenge inoculation with C. parvum oocysts.