Immune response of gnotobiotic piglets against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

J Vet Med Sci. 2008 Oct;70(10):1065-70. doi: 10.1292/jvms.70.1065.

Abstract

In this study, several cytokine responses were investigated during Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) infection using a gnotobiotic infection model. We found that several inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-18, and TNF-alpha) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of germ-free (GF) piglets stimulated with heat killed Mhp whole antigens, but no IFN-gamma and IL-4 were induced by Mhp. After the intranasal infection of Mhp, IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-18, and IFN-gamma were also detected in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluids (BALF). The antigen-specific IFN-gamma and IL-10 responses after infection of Mhp were gradually suppressed during Mhp infection as well as non-specific immune response to concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysacchalide (LPS) at early stage of infection. These results suggested that Mhp infection modulates the immune response of pigs by inducing several cytokines, and causes immuno-suppression of pigs in a gnotobiotic condition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / immunology
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / microbiology
  • Concanavalin A / immunology
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Germ-Free Life / immunology*
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology
  • Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae / immunology*
  • Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / blood
  • Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / immunology*
  • Pneumonia of Swine, Mycoplasmal / microbiology
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / blood
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / immunology
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / microbiology
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary*
  • Swine
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th2 Cells / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Concanavalin A