Immunomodulatory effect of baculovirus in chickens: How it modifies the immune response against infectious bursal disease virus

JUAN MANUEL CARBALLEDA; MATÍAS RICHETTA; SILVINA CHIMENO ZOTH; MARÍA SOLEDAD LUCERO; ANALÍA BERINSTEIN; GRAVISACO MARÍA JOSÉ; EVANGELINA GÓMEZ

ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 131 p. 35 - 39

0166-3542

Several reports have shown that baculoviruses (BVs) have strong adjuvant properties on the mammalianimmune system. Recent studies of our group demonstrated the ability of BV to stimulate the innateimmunity in chickens. In this investigation, we aimed to assess the potential antiviral effect of BV givenboth, before and after infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). In the first case, specific pathogen freechickens were intravenously inoculated with 5 107 pfu of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosisvirus and 3 h later were orally administered 2.5 105 egg infectious doses 50 of IBDV. In the second case,chickens received IBDV 3 h before BV inoculation. Five days later, chickens were bled and euthanized.RNA from the bursa was analyzed for cytokine production. Also, bursae were used for virus recovery, andprocessed for lymphocyte isolation. The results showed that the administration of BV 3 h after theinoculation with IBDV produced important changes in the effect that IBDV causes in the bursa. BVreduced the infiltration of T lymphocytes, decreased the expression pattern of IL-6 and IFN-g andinhibited IBDV replication. The results herein presented demonstrate that this Lepidopteran virus showsantiviral activity in chickens under experimental conditions. Investigations under field conditions have tobe done to probe this strategy as a valuable sanitary tool for the treatment and prevention of chickendiseases.