Immunomodulatory Effect of Vitamin C on Proinflammatory Cytokines Production in Ossimi Lambs (Ovis aries) with Pneumonic Pasteurellosis

SIMPLE SUMMARY: There is paucity on the immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin C on cytokines production in lambs with respiratory diseases. Therefore, the current study examined the influence of vitamin C on the production of different pro-inflammatory cytokines in lambs naturally infected by pneumonic pasteurellosis. In lambs naturally infected with pneumonic pasteurellosis, the association between measured proinflammatory cytokines and clinical sum score demonstrated a positive correlation with interleukin-6 and interferon gamma. The findings show that vitamin C has a selective effect on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in sera of lambs with pneumonic pasteurellosis when used in combination with tulathromycin, and confirming the therapeutic effectiveness of tulathromycin in clinical recovery of lambs with pneumonic pasteurellosis. ABSTRACT: In this study, we have investigated the impact of vitamin C on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1 β (IL-1 β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 12p40 (IL-12p40), interferon gamma (IFNγ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)) in lambs naturally infected by pneumonic pasteurellosis. Of 37 lambs, 18 lambs were identified to have pneumonic pasteurellosis and randomly allocated into two equal groups. Single subcutaneous dose of tulathromycine alone (2.5 mg kg(−1)) or tulathromycine combined with vitamin C (3 gm kg(−1)) were administrated to the diseased lambs. The serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were returned to the normal levels in pneumonic lambs treated with the combination therapy. The obtained results indicate the selective influences of vitamin C on pro-inflammatory cytokines production in sera of lambs with pneumonic pasteurellosis and highlights the value of vitamin C as a potential anti-inflammatory drug and ideal immunomodulatory agent.