Protection against avian influenza H9N2 virus challenge by immunization with hemagglutinin- or neuraminidase-expressing DNA in BALB/c mice.

Abstract

Avian influenza viruses of H9N2 subtype are widely spread in avian species. The viruses have recently been transmitted to mammalian species, including humans, accelerating the efforts to devise protective strategies against them. In this study, an avian influenza H9N2 virus strain (A/Chicken/Jiangsu/7/2002), isolated in Jiangsu Province, China, was used to infect BALB/c mice for adaptation. After five lung-to-lung passages, the virus was stably proliferated in a large quantity in the murine lung and caused the deaths of mice. In addition, we explored the protection induced by H9N2 virus hemagglutinin (HA)- and neuraminidase (NA)-expressing DNAs in BALB/c mice. Female BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were immunized once or twice at a 3-week interval with HA-DNA and NA-DNA by electroporation, respectively, each at a dose of 3, 10 or 30microg. The mice were challenged with a lethal dose (40x LD(50)) of influenza H9N2 virus four weeks after immunization once or one week after immunization twice. The protections of DNA vaccines were evaluated by the serum antibody titers, residual lung virus titers, and survival rates of the mice. The result showed that immunization once with not less than 10microg or twice with 3microg HA-DNA or NA-DNA provided effective protection against homologous avian influenza H9N2 virus.

• Authors: Meizhen Qiu, Fang Fang, Yan Chen, Hualin Wang, Quanjiao Chen, Haiyan Chang, Fuyan Wang, Hanzhong Wang, Ran Zhang, Ze Chen
• Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (Biochem Biophys Res Commun) Vol. 343 Issue 4 Pg. 1124-31 (May 19 2006) ISSN: 0006-291X [Print] United States
• PMID: 16580631 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA, Viral
• Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
• Influenza Vaccines
• Vaccines, DNA
• hemagglutinin, avian influenza A virus
• Neuraminidase

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Line
• DNA, Viral (immunology)
• Dogs
• Female
• Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus (genetics, immunology)
• Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype (immunology, isolation & purification)
• Influenza Vaccines (immunology)
• Lung (virology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Neuraminidase (genetics, immunology)
• Orthomyxoviridae Infections (immunology, prevention & control, virology)
• Plasmids
• Vaccination
• Vaccines, DNA (immunology)