Host Immune Responses Against Hog Cholera Virus in Pigs Treated with an Ionized Alkali Mineral Complex

To determine the immune responses in pigs to hog cholera virus after treatment with an ionized alkali mineral complex (IAMC), 40 healthy pigs (28-32 days old) from a commercial swine farm were purchased and housed into 4 groups (n=10 each). All pigs were vaccinated intramuscularly (1 ml) with an attenuated live hog cholera virus (HCV, LOM strain) at 28-32 days old and challenged with a virulent hog cholera virus at 8 weeks after vaccination. Each group was treated with PowerFeelTM sprayed diet as 0.05% (w/w) in a final concentration (T-1, n=10), a diet mixed with SuperFeedTM as 3% (w/w) in a final concentration (T-2, n=10), or a diluted PowerFeelTM solution (1:500, v/v) as drinking water (T-3, n=10), respectively. A group (n=10) served as a non-treated control. Proportions of expressing CD2+ and CD8+ cells increased significantly (p<, 0.05) at 8-week post-application. Mean antibody titers of each group against HCV gradually increased to higher levels after vaccination and with challenge of the virulent virus. In conclusion, the IAMC-treated diets can be helpful for the improvement of growth in pigs with proper vaccination program, while the IAMC-treated diets have no effects on the clinical protection against hog cholera.

Relation between lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood and immune responses of modified live hog cholera virus vaccine in pigs treated with an ionized alkali mineral complex

Thirty-nine healthy pigs (28-32 days old) were purchased from a commercial swine farm and housed at swine pens of the College. The animals were vaccinated intramuscularly (1 ml) with an attenuated live hog cholera virus (HCV, LOM strain) and then boostered at 5 weeks after the first vaccination. The animals were divided into 4 experimental groups: 0.05% (w/w) PowerFeel-supplemented diet (T-1, n = 10); 3% (w/w) SuperFeed-supplemented diet (T-2, n = 10); diluted PowerFeel solution (1 : 500, v/v) as drinking water (T-3, n=9); control (n=10). PowerFeel is an original form of ionized alkali mineral complex (IAMC) and SuperFeed is a commercial product of IAMC. The subpopulation of lymphocyte in blood was assayed by a flow cytometry and HCV-specific antibody was determined by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. In IMAC-treated groups, the proportions of subpopulation expressing MHC-class II, CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, and surface IgM+ B lymphocytes were significantly decreased at 5-weeks after the first vaccination. Significant decreases were also observed in the proportions of MHC-class II, CD2+ and CD8+ lymphocyte at 3-weeks after the booster injection. The humoral immune responses in T-1 and T-2 groups were greater than those in T-3 or control group. These results suggest that IAMC-supplemented diets may have an HCV-specific immunostimulatory effect in pigs.