In vivo electroporation improves immune responses to DNA vaccination in sheep.

Abstract

In vivo electroporation was utilised to enhance plasmid DNA expression in sheep muscle to improve the immune response to DNA vaccination. DNA encoding enhanced green fluorescence protein expressed at higher levels in sheep muscle following in vivo electroporation which caused minimal muscle damage. Groups of seven sheep were then given three intramuscular injections of plasmids encoding two Haemonchus contortus Ag, with and without electroporation at 0, 3 and 7 weeks. Humoral responses were enhanced in electroporated sheep. Four weeks after vaccination, all groups were injected subcutaneously with recombinant Ag formulated in Quil A. Induction of vaccine-specific immune memory was demonstrated in DNA-vaccinated sheep.