Rotavirus A Inoculation and Oral Vitamin A Supplementation of Vitamin A Deficient Pregnant Sows Enhances Maternal Adaptive Immunity and Passive Protection of Piglets against Virulent Rotavirus A
Juliet Chepngeno,
Joshua O. Amimo,
Husheem Michael,
Kwonil Jung,
Sergei Raev,
Marcia V. Lee,
Debasu Damtie,
Alfred O. Mainga,
Anastasia N. Vlasova,
Linda J. Saif
Affiliations
Juliet Chepngeno
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Joshua O. Amimo
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Husheem Michael
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Kwonil Jung
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Sergei Raev
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Marcia V. Lee
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Debasu Damtie
Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
Alfred O. Mainga
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00625, Kenya
Anastasia N. Vlasova
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
Linda J. Saif
Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
The aim of this study was to determine the impact of vitamin A deficiency (VAD)/supplementation (±VA) and group A RV (RVA) maternal immunization of RVA seropositive multiparous pregnant sows, on their immune responses (anamnestic response) and on passive protection of their piglets against RVA challenge. Our results showed that VAD- mock sows had increased RVA RNA shedding at 1–5 days post piglet RVA challenge, and their litters had increased RVA shedding and diarrhea frequency throughout the experiment. VAD decreased memory B cell frequencies while VA supplementation increased RVA specific IgA/IgG antibody (Ab) secreting cell (ASC) numbers in blood, milk, and tissues of RVA inoculated VAD sows. The increased numbers of RVA specific IgA/IgG ASCs in blood, milk/colostrum, intestinal contents, and tissues in VA supplemented VAD sows, suggest a role of VA in B cell immunity and trafficking to tissues. We also observed that RVA inoculated sows had the highest viral neutralizing Ab titers in serum and milk while VA supplementation of VAD sows and RVA inoculation increased IgA+ B cell frequencies in sow colostrum. In summary, we demonstrated that daily oral VA-supplementation (2nd trimester-throughout lactation) to RVA inoculated VAD sows improved the function of their gut-mammary-IgA immunological axis, reducing viral RNA shedding, diarrhea, and increasing weight gain in suckling piglets.
