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Use of mucosal immunization with porcine zona pellucida (PZP) in mice and rabbits.

Martin BJ, Suckow MA, Wolter WR, Berger T, Turner JW

Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Medical University of Ohio, 3055 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43614, USA. bmartin@meduohio.edu

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and two strains of mice (Mus musculus, one inbred and one outbred) were immunized against porcine zona pellucida (PZP) antigen. Alginate microspheres or cholera toxin B were used alone or in combination when mucosal immunization routes were used. Serum antibody responses and fertility were assessed. Neither rabbit or mouse groups immunized by mucosal routes generated significant antibody responses to PZP as compared to parenteral immunization (ANOVA, P > 0.05). The study shows that porcine zona pellucida is not an effective mucosal antigen in small mammals.

Published 29 May 2006 in Anim Reprod Sci, 93(3): 372-8.
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