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Title: Neospora caninum tachyzoite- and antigen-stimulated production of cytokines by enriched bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and spleen cells of naive BALB/c mice

Author
item FENG, XIAOSHENG - JILIN UNIV, CHINA
item ZHANG, NAISHENG - JILIN UNIV, CHINA
item Tuo, Wenbin

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/7/2010
Publication Date: 4/7/2010
Citation: Feng, X., Zhang, N., Tuo, W. 2010. Neospora caninum tachyzoite- and antigen-stimulated production of cytokines by enriched bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and spleen cells of naive BALB/c mice. Journal of Parasitology. 96(4):717-723.

Interpretive Summary: Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan pathogen, causing abortion in cattle. This parasite induces a typical type 1 immune response in host animals and it is widely believed that the strong type 1 immune response during pregnancy may result in fetal death. Pro-inflammatory and/or inflammatory cytokines produced during either primary or secondary pathogen exposure are supposed to be the mediators of abortion. The present study defined cytokine production by dendritic cells and spleen cells in response to intact Neospora tachyzoites (live, heat-killed, frozen-killed) or whole-cell tachyzoite lysate in the form of total antigen, soluble antigen or insoluble antigen. All tachyzoite and antigen preparations stimulated high levels of interleukin-12, interferon-g and tumor necrosis factor-a except for heat-killed tachyzoites and soluble antigen. Soluble antigen induced moderate level of interleukin-12 and very low levels of interferon-g and tumor necrosis factor-a. In general, intact Neospora tachyzoites were more effective in inducing interleukin-12, interferon-g and tumor necrosis factor-a than the lysate antigen preparations. The heat-killed Neospora tachyzoites were less potent in eliciting interferon-g or interleukin-10, but more effective in inducing inteukine-4. Thus, heat-inactivated tachyzoites and soluble antigen may not be suitable to be used as vaccine candidates against neosporosis. This is the first study defining cytokine production by the murine dendritic cells in response to Neospora caninum and these results may facilitate the understanding of antigen priming and design of vaccines against neosporosis.

Technical Abstract: Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan pathogen, causing abortion in cattle. This parasite elicits a typical type 1 immune response in host animals and it is widely believed that the strong type 1 immune response during pregnancy may result in fetal death. Pro-inflammatory and/or inflammatory cytokines produced during either primary or secondary pathogen exposure are supposed to be the mediators of abortion. The present study defined cytokine production by murine naïve dendritic cells and spleen cells in response to intact Neospora tachyzoites (live, heat-killed, frozen-killed) or whole-cell tachyzoite lysate in the form of total antigen (NcAg), soluble antigen (sNcAg) or insoluble antigen (isNcAg). All tachyzoite and antigen preparations stimulated high levels of interleukin (IL)-12, interferon (IFN)-g and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a except for heat-killed tachyzoites and sNcAg. sNcAg induced moderate level of IL-12 and very low levels of IFN-g and TNF-a. In general, intact Neospora tachyzoites were more effective in inducing IL-12, IFN-g and TNF-a than the lysate antigen preparations. It appears that the heat-killed Neospora tachyzoites were less potent in eliciting IFN-g or IL-10, but more effective in inducing IL-4. Thus, heat-inactivated tachyzoites and sNcAg may not be suitable to be used as vaccine candidates against neosporosis. This is the first study defining cytokine production by the murine dendritic cells in response to Neospora caninum and these results may facilitate the understanding of antigen priming and design of vaccines against neosporosis.