The effect of ovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells on Haemonchus contortus larval morbidity in vitro

Immune mechanisms of Texel sheep to adult and egg stages of Haemonchus contortus

Experimental Haemonchus contortus (Hc) infections revealed that Texel sheep have faecal egg counts (FEC) comparable to parasite-resistant St. Croix but adult worm burden comparable to parasite-susceptible Suffolk sheep. The aim of these studies was to further investigate the mechanism causing this disparity. Cellular and humoral immune responses to adult- and egg stage Hc were compared amongst St. Croix, Texel and Suffolk sheep. Adult worms and eggs were exposed to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum from the three breeds in vitro. There was a greater IgA binding to eggs when treated with St. Croix and Texel serum (p < .05), and these eggs exhibited a lower hatch rate (p < .05) when exposed to serum and PBMC. Adult worms exposed to St. Croix and Texel-derived PBMC, and serum had greater binding around the head and reproductive structures than worms exposed to Suffolk-derived cells and serum. Consequently, egg release tended to be affected by breed (p = .09). To further examine differences, Suffolk and Texel lambs (n = 5/breed) were infected with 10,000 Hc L3 for 30 days. Suffolk sheep had greater egg release per worm than Texel (3.8 vs. 2.1 eggs/worm). Taken together, these data would indicate one of the mechanisms in Texel's targeting adult-stage Hc reducing worm fecundity.

Characterization of ovine monocyte activity when cultured with Haemonchus contortus larvae in vitro

AIMS

The objective of this study was to identify and characterize cell populations within ovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) associated with Haemonchus contortus (Hc) larval morbidity and impairment in vitro.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Monocytes and lymphocytes were separated from PBMC from parasite-resistant St. Croix (STC) sheep and parasite-susceptible Suffolk (SUF) sheep. Cells were cultured with Hc third stage larvae (L3) for 9 h. Larval morbidity was assessed using ATP concentration. Activation status was determined through gene expression analysis and enzyme inhibition. Enzymes arginase-1 (Arg1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were inhibited using BEC (S-(2-boronoethyl)-I-cysteine) and 1400W (N-(3-(aminomethyl)benzyl)acetamidine), respectively. Larval ATP was lower when cultured with STC-derived monocytes (0.015 μmol/L ATP) compared to SUF-derived monocytes (0.067 μmol/L ATP) (P < .001), or lymphocytes from either breed (STC: 0.085 μmol/L, SUF: 0.112 μmol/L ATP) (P < .001). SUF-derived monocytes displayed higher expression of M1 genes, whereas STC-derived monocytes displayed M2 genes continuously. Inhibition of Arg1 decreased monocyte function in both breeds, whereas iNOS inhibition restored SUF-derived monocyte function.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, these data indicate STC-derived monocytes favour M2 phenotype when exposed to L3, where SUF-derived monocyte function resembled M1 phenotype and described potential for improving Suffolk sheep through modulating inflammatory responses.

Ovine vital neutrophil extracellular traps bind and impair Haemonchus contortus L3 in a breed-dependent manner

This study aimed to characterize neutrophil response to Haemonchus contortus (Hc) in vitro using cells from parasite-resistant St. Croix (STC) and parasite-susceptible Suffolk (SUF) sheep. Neutrophils from Hc-primed and naive STC and SUF sheep were incubated with Hc larval antigen (HcLA), Hc worm antigen (HcWA) or complete media (CM). After HcLA exposure, neutrophils from STC and SUF formed extracellular traps composed of DNA. Stimulation with HcLA induced a 35-fold increase in extracellular DNA compared to CM controls. However, extracellular DNA was not found when neutrophils were cultured with HcWA. The formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) in response to HcLA yields a low percentage of necrotic cells indicating a form of vital NETosis. Neutrophils from primed and naïve STC bound Hc L3 greater (93% and 68%) than SUF (78% and 45%; P < 0.001). Furthermore, STC neutrophils significantly reduced larval ATP levels compared to SUF neutrophils (0.05 μmol/L vs 0.1 μmol/L ATP, P < 0.001). These data indicate that ovine neutrophils bind, form vital NET and reduce ATP to Hc L3 in a breed and infection status-dependent manner.