An Improved DNA Vaccine against Bovine Herpesvirus-1 Using CD40L and a Chemical Adjuvant Induces Specific Cytotoxicity in Mice

Abstract

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) uses many mechanisms to elude the immune system; one of them is spreading intracellularly, even in the presence of specific antiviral antibodies. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are necessary to eliminate the virus. The main preventive strategy is vaccination based on inactivated virus. These vaccines are poor inducers of cellular immune responses, and complicate serological diagnosis and determination of the real prevalence of infection. DNA vaccines are a good option because of the capacity of Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals—(DIVA vaccine)—and may be the best way to induce cytotoxic responses. Although this type of vaccines leads to only weak ‘‘in vivo’’ expression and poor immune responses, incorporation of molecular and/or chemical adjuvants can improve the latter, both in magnitude and in direction. In this study, we have investigated the specific immune responses elicited in mice by DNA vaccines based on the BoHV-1 glycoprotein D (pCIgD) with and without two different adjuvants: a plasmid encoding for murine CD40L (pCD40L) or Montanide 1113101PR (101). Mice vaccinated with pCIgD+ CD40L, pCIgD+ 101, and pCIgD+ CD40L+ 101 developed significantly higher specific antibody titers against BoHV-1 than the pCIgD group ( p < 0.01). The animals vaccinated with pCgD+ pCD40L+ 101 raised significantly higher levels of IgG2a and IgG2b ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) than mice vaccinated with pCIgD alone. On the contrary, when the activity of CTL against cells infected with BoHV-1 was measured, the vaccine pCgD+ pCD40L+ 101 induced significantly higher levels of cytotoxicity activity ( p < 0.001) than pCIgD alone. A significant increase in the CD4+ populations in the group receiving pCIgD+ CD40L+ 101 in comparison with the pCIgD group was observed and, also, interferon gamma, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-17A levels were higher. Considering the results obtained from this study for humoral and cellular responses in mice, the inclusion of pCD40L and 101 as adjuvants in a BoHV-1 DNA vaccine for cattle is highly recommendable.