Free Access
Issue
Vet. Res.
Volume 34, Number 3, May-June 2003
Page(s) 307 - 316
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/vetres:2003006
How to cite this article Vet. Res. (2003) 307-316
Vet. Res. 34 (2003) 307-316
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2003006

Recombinant bovine soluble CD14 reduces severity of experimental Escherichia coli mastitis in mice

Jai-Wei Leea, Max J. Paapeb and Xin Zhaoa

a  Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
b  Immunology and Disease Resistance Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD-20901, USA

(Received 15 October 2002; accepted 9 December 2002)

Abstract
Endotoxin, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is responsible for pathogenesis of infections induced by Gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli. The cellular response to LPS is modulated by interactions among LPS, LPS-binding protein (LBP) and CD14. Accumulated evidence shows that the soluble form of CD14 (sCD14) competes with membrane-bound CD14 (mCD14) for LPS and plays a pivotal role in regulating bacterial infection and septic shock caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Recombinant bovine sCD14 (rbosCD14) was produced by transfected insect sf/9 cells and its biological function was evaluated in mice. Eighty-one 8-week old BALB/cj female mice were randomly assigned to two groups, and injected intraperitoneally with either LPS (8 $\mu$g/g of body weight, n = 41) or LPS plus rbosCD14 (6.8 $\mu$g/g of body weight, n = 40). Survival rate at 24 h after injection for mice injected with either LPS or LPS plus rbosCD14 was 30 and 72%, respectively ( P < 0.01). At 48 h survival rate was 7 and 37%, respectively ( P < 0.01). To investigate the protective effect of rbosCD14 on experimentally induced mastitis in mice, two abdominal contralateral mammary glands of 7 lactating BALB/cj mice were injected through the teat canal with 10-20 colony-forming units (CFU) of Escherichia coli. One gland simultaneously received rbosCD14 (6 $\mu$g) and the other saline. At 24 h after challenge, glands that received rbosCD14 had less swelling and hemorrhaging, significantly lower bacterial counts ( P < 0.05) and lower concentrations of TNF- $\alpha$ ( P < 0.05). Results indicate that rbosCD14 is biologically functional and reduces mortality in mice from endotoxin shock and severity of intramammary infection by E. coli.


Key words: mastitis / CD14 / LPS / Escherichia coli / TNF- $\alpha$

Correspondence and reprints: Xin Zhao Tel.: (1) 514 398 7975; fax: (1) 514 398 7964;
    e-mail: Zhao@macdonald.mcgill.ca

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2003