J Vet Sci.  2005 Mar;6(1):21-24.

Induction of castration by immunization of male dogs with recombinant gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-canine distemper virus (CDV) T helper cell epitope p35

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea. virus@konkuk.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Physiology College of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 110-749, Korea.
  • 3Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea.
  • 4Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, Westboro Road, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA.

Abstract

Immunocastration is a considerable alternative to a surgical castration method especially in male animal species for alleviating unwanted male behaviors and characteristics. Induction of high titer of antibody specific for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) correlates with the regression of testes. Fusion proteins composed of canine GnRH and T helper (Th) cell epitope p35 originated from canine distemper virus (CDV) F protein and goat rotavirus VP6 protein were produced in E. coli. When these fusion proteins were injected to male dogs which were previously immunized with CDV vaccine, the fusion protein of GnRH-CDV Th cell epitope p35 induced much higher antibody than that of GnRH-rotavirus VP6 protein or GnRH alone. The degeneration of spermatogenesis was also verified in the male dogs immunized with the fusion protein of GnRH-CDV Th cell epitope p35. These results indicate that canine GnRH conjugated to CDV Th cell epitope p35 acted as a strong immunogen and the antibody to GnRH specifically neutralized GnRH in the testes. This study also implies a potential application of GnRH-based vaccines for immunocastration of male pets.

Keyword

Immunocastration; GnRH; canine distemper virus; T helper cell epitope; dogs

MeSH Terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Antibodies/blood
Base Sequence
Contraception, Immunologic/methods/*veterinary
Distemper Virus, Canine/*immunology
Dogs/immunology/*physiology
Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/*immunology
Fertility/immunology
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/chemistry/*immunology
Male
Molecular Sequence Data
Organ Size
Recombinant Proteins/immunology
Spermatogenesis/immunology
T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunology
Testis/immunology
Vaccines, Contraceptive/immunology
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