Vaccination with γ-Irradiated Neospora caninum Tachyzoites Protects Mice Against Acute Challenge with N. caninum

• Published in: The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology 2006-03, Vol.53 (2), p.151-156
• Main Authors: RAMAMOORTHY, S., LINDSAY, D. S., SCHURIG, G. G., BOYLE, S. M., DUNCAN, R. B., VEMULAPALLI, R., SRIRANGANATHAN, N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Attenuation; Biological and medical sciences; bovine abortion; Cattle; Coccidiosis - parasitology; Coccidiosis - pathology; Coccidiosis - prevention & control; Cytokines - metabolism; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gamma Rays; IL-10; IL-4; immune response; interferon γ; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neospora - growth & development; Neospora - immunology; Neospora - pathogenicity; Neospora - radiation effects; Neospora caninum; Protozoa; Protozoan Vaccines - administration & dosage; Protozoan Vaccines - radiation effects; resistance; Spleen - immunology; Vaccination; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; Vaccines, Attenuated - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Attenuated - radiation effects; γ irradiation
• ISSN: 1066-5234; 1550-7408
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2005.00083.x

Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan parasite, is a leading cause of bovine abortions worldwide. The efficacy of γ‐irradiated N. caninum strain NC‐1 tachyzoites as a vaccine for neosporosis was assessed in C57BL6 mice. A dose of 528 Gy of γ irradiation was sufficient to arrest replication but not host cell penetration by tachyzoites. Female C57BL6 mice were vaccinated with two intraperitoneal inoculations of 1 × 106 irradiated tachyzoites at 4‐wk intervals. When stimulated with N. caninum tachyzoite lysates, splenocytes of vaccinated mice, cultured 5 and 10 wk after vaccination, secreted significant (P