Effects of oral treatment with plant-expressed cytokines for mucosal barrier formation and maturation

本项目的目的是确定口服植物表达细胞因子对粘膜屏障形成和成熟的影响。我们还检测了口服细胞因子治疗对病原体的保护活性。在小鼠单核增生李斯特菌感染模型中，口服人α干扰素可减少脾脏和肝脏的细菌负荷。植物表达的重组蛋白也表现出类似的效果。我们获得了口服人α干扰素激活的基因信息，并设计了相应基因在牛体内检测的引物。这些基因的激活将用于家畜口服干扰素治疗的评估。在小鼠感染弓形虫、微小巴贝虫、罗达巴贝虫、伯氏疟原虫、刚果锥虫等原虫感染模型中评价转化生长因子治疗小鼠的效果。结果表明，转化生长因子β处理可激活宿主对病原菌的防御活性。

The aim of this project is to determine effects of oral treatment with plant-expressed cytokines for mucosal barrier formation and maturation. We also examined protective activity of oral cytokine treatment against pathogens. In a mouse infection model with Listeria monocytogenes, oral treatment with human interferon alfa reduced bacterial burden in spleen and liver. Plant-expressed recombinant protein exhibited similar effect. We obtained information of genes activated with oral treatment with human interferon alfa, and designed primers for the detection of corresponding genes in cattle. Activation of these genes will be used for evaluation of oral interferon treatment in domestic animals. Effect of treatment with transforming growth factor beta was evalualted in mouse infection model with protozoan parasites including Toxoplasma gondii, Babesia microti, Babesia rhodhaini, Plasmodium berghei, Trypanosoma congolense. The treatment reduced parasitemia of T.congolense, which indicates treatment with transforming growth factor beta may activate host defense activity against pathogens.