Expression Patterns of Intracellular Cytokines in Splenic Dendritic Cells from BALB/c Mice Infected with Neospora caninum

Abstract

Abstract

Using intracellular cytokine staining (ICCS) and flow cytometric analysis, the kinetics of cytokine expression were investigated in immunocompetent cells obtained from the spleens of noninfected and Neospora caninum-infected BALB/c mice, at 3, 5, and 7 days post-infection (dpi). The results showed that both Th1 and Th2 intracellular cytokines IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ were detectable in both unfractionated spleen cells and splenic dendritic cells (DC) from non-infected and N. caninuminfected mice. IL-10 levels in the splenic DC of the infected mice were significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05) at 5 dpi. This expression declined rapidly by 7 dpi, followed by a concomitant increase in IL-12 expression. These results agree with the generally accepted concept that the balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokine response regulate the outcome of infection with pathogenic organisms, suggesting that they may play an important role in the resolution of infection.

Keywords : cytokine, dendritic cell, BALB/c mice, Neospora caninum