Increased number of intestinal villous M cells in levamisole - pretreated weaned pigs experimentally infected with F4ac+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain

Submitted: 5 March 2010
Accepted: 5 March 2010
Published: 1 July 2010
Abstract Views: 922
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Immunoprophylaxis of porcine postweaning colibacillosis (PWC) caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) expressing F4 fimbriae is an unsolved problem. Just as ETEC strains can exploit intestinal microfold (M) cells as the entry portal for infection, their high transcytotic ability make them an attractive target for mucosally delivered vaccines, adjuvants and therapeutics. We have developed a model of parenteral/oral immunization of 4-weeks-old pigs with either levamisole or vaccine candidate F4ac+ non-ETEC strain to study their effects on de novo differentiation of antigen-sampling M cells. Identification, localization and morphometric quantification of cytokeratin 18 positive M cells in the ileal mucosa of 6-weeks-old pigs revealed that they were: 1) exclusively located within villous epithelial layer, 2) significantly numerous (P< 0.01) in levamisole pretreated/challenged pigs, and 3) only slightly, but not significantly numerous in vaccinated/challenged pigs compared with non-pretreated/challenged control pigs. The fact that levamisole may affect the M cells frequency by increasing their numbers, makes it an interesting adjuvant to study development of an effective M cell-targeted vaccine against porcine PWC.

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Supporting Agencies

Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of Croatia (Grant Nos. 053-0532265-2255 and 053-0532265-2248)
I. Valpotić, University of Zagreb

Department of Biology

Veterinary Faculty

How to Cite

Valpotić, H., Kovšca Janjatović, A., Lacković, G., Božić, F., Dobranić, V., Svoboda, D., Valpotić, I., & Popović, M. (2010). Increased number of intestinal villous M cells in levamisole - pretreated weaned pigs experimentally infected with F4ac+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain. European Journal of Histochemistry, 54(2), e18. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejh.2010.e18