Abstract
Eimeria intestinalis infects rabbits, causing severe intestinal coccidiosis. Prolonged anticoccidial drug use might lead to coccidia resistance and drug residues in food. Thus, vaccines are required to control rabbit coccidiosis. In this study, recombinant E. intestinalis 14-3-3 and GRA10 proteins (rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10) were obtained via prokaryotic expression and used as recombinant subunit vaccines. Fifty 30-day-old rabbits were randomly grouped as follows: PBS-uninfected group, PBS-infected group, Trx-His-S control group, and rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 immunized groups. The rabbits were subcutaneously immunized twice at 2-week intervals, challenged with 7 × 10(4) sporulated oocysts, and sacrificed 14 days later. The protective effects were assessed via clinical signs, relative weight gain, oocyst reduction, mean intestinal lesion score, ACI (anticoccidial index), cytokine, and specific antibody levels in sera. The rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 groups had higher relative weight gain rates of 81.94% and 73.61% (p < 0.05), and higher oocyst reduction rates of 86.13% and 84.87% (p < 0.05), respectively. The two immunized groups had fewer intestinal lesions (p < 0.05) and higher IgG levels (p < 0.05). Higher levels of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ cytokines in the rEi-14-3-3 group (p < 0.05) and a higher level of IFN-γ in the rEi-GRA10 group (p < 0.05) were observed. The ACI values of the rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 groups were 168.24 and 159.91, with good and moderate protective effects, respectively. Both rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 induced humoral immunity in the rabbits. In addition, rEi-14-3-3 induced Th1- and Th2-type immune responses. Both recombinant proteins were protective against E. intestinalis infection in rabbits, with rEi-14-3-3 showing a better protective effect.