Induction of pulmonary immunity in cattle by oral administration of ovalbumin in alginate microspheres

Abstract

Respiratory infectious diseases are an important cause of economic losses to the cattle industry. There is a need for an effective, easy to administer vaccine to the critical bacterial pathogens that cause pneumonia in cattle. An orally administered vaccine could be given to a large number of animals without significant stress to the animals and with minimal labor. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the oral administration of a model antigen (ovalbumin) in alginate microspheres could induce pulmonary immunity in cattle. Calves were vaccinated orally with ovalbumin (OVA) following either a subcutaneous (SC) or oral priming dose of OVA. Calves primed and boostered by oral administration (oral/oral) of OVA encapsulated in alginate microparticles had increased numbers of antigen-specific IgA ASCs (ASCs) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. Calves that received a SC priming followed by an oral booster inoculation (SC/oral) of OVA in alginate microspheres had a greater number of anti-OVA IgA, IgG 1 and IgG 2 ASCs in BALF. SC/oral calves also had increased numbers of anti-OVA IgG 1 ASCs in peripheral blood whereas oral/oral calves had none. SC/oral calves had increased anti-OVA IgG 1, IgG 2, and IgA titers in BALF, and IgG 1 and IgG 2 in serum compared to both oral/oral and sham vaccinated calves. These results indicate that oral administration of antigen encapsulated in alginate microspheres results in a mucosal immune response in the respiratory tract of cattle. Furthermore, SC priming both enhanced the IgA response and stimulated an IgG 1 and IgG 2 response not seen in oral/oral calves. The difference in antibody isotype results suggest that design of the vaccination protocol can direct antibody responses as needed for a specific immunization program.