Effect of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on turkey performance and immune cell parameters in a coccidial infection model.

This study was conducted to identify the effects of 25-OH cholecalciferol supplementation to turkeys on the immune cells parameters, fecal coccidial oocyst shedding, macrophage nitric oxide production, T regulatory cell cytokine production, and production parameters during a coccidial challenge. A total of 200 1-day-old turkey poults were supplemented with 27.5, 55, 82.5, or 110 µg/kg 25-OH cholecalciferol and challenged or not challenged with coccidial oocysts in a 4 × 2 factorial set up of treatments. Birds fed 110 µg/kg of 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst had 41% lower (P < 0.05) fecal oocyst and 53% higher (P < 0.05) macrophage nitric oxide production than the birds fed 27.5 µg/kg of 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst at 5 d post-coccidial infection. Birds fed 82.5 µg/kg 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst had 5-fold higher (P < 0.05) IL-1 mRNA amounts than the birds fed 27.5 µg/kg of 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst. Birds fed 110 µg/kg 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst had 5.3-fold higher (P < 0.05) IL-10 mRNA amounts than the birds fed 27.5 µg/kg of 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst at 5 d post-coccidial infection. CD4+CD25+ cells from birds fed 110 µg of 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst had 12-fold higher (P < 0.05) IL-10 mRNA than that from the birds fed 27.5 µg/kg of 25-OH cholecalciferol and infected with coccidial oocyst. In conclusion, supplementing birds with 101 µg/kg 25-OH cholicalciferol decreases coccidial oocyst shedding in the feces and could be a nutritional strategy to reduce the coccidial infection and spread in turkeys.

Immunomodulation in human and experimental arthritis: including vitamin D, helminths and heat-shock proteins.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that is mainly directed to the joints, affecting the synovial membrane, the cartilage and also the bone. This disease affects 1% to 2% of the world population and is associated with significant morbidity and increased mortality. RA experimental models have allowed a great deal of information to be translated to the corresponding human disease. This review summarizes some of the most relevant findings targeting immunomodulation in arthritis. Some general guidelines to choose an adequate experimental model and also our experience with arthritis are supplied.

The shiitake mushroom-derived immuno-stimulant lentinan protects against murine malaria blood-stage infection by evoking adaptive immune-responses.

Lentinan, a (1-3)-beta glucan from Lentinus edodes, is an effective immunostimulatory drug. We tested the effects of lentinan during blood-stage infection by Plasmodium yoelii 17XL (P.y17XL). Pre-treatment of mice with lentinan significantly decreased the parasitemia and increased their survival after infection. Enhanced IL-12, IFN-gamma and NO production induced by lentinan in spleen cells of infected mice revealed that the Th1 immune response was stimulated against malaria infection. In vitro and in vivo, lentinan can result in enhanced expression of MHC II, CD80/CD86, and Toll-like receptors (TLR2/TLR4), and increased production of IL-12 in spleen dendritic cells (DCs) co-cultured with parasitized red blood cells (pRBCs). Moreover, both the number of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the levels of IL-10 secreted by Tregs were reduced by pre-treatment with lentinan in the spleen of malaria-infected mice. Meanwhile, apoptosis of CD4(+) T cell in spleens of mice pretreated with lentinan was significantly reduced. In summary, lentinan can induce protective Th1 immune responses to control the proliferation of malaria parasites during the blood-stage of P.y17XL infection by stimulating maturation of DCs to inhibit negative regulation of the Th1 immune response by Tregs. Taken together, our findings suggest that lentinan has prophylactic potential for the treatment of malaria.