Immune response of Pseudosciaena crocea to the injection of Vibrio alginolyticus

For the investigation of anti-infection immune response of Pseudosciaena crocea, 160 healthy fish samples were categorized into infected and control groups. Each individual fish in the infected group was injected intraperitoneally (i. p.) with 0.2 ml bacterial suspension of Vibrio alginolyticus in density of 2×10 CFU/ml, while each individual in the control group was injected i. p. with 0.2 ml sterile saline solution (0.85%). It was observed that the artificial injection of V. alginolyticus significantly increased the number of erythrocytes, leucocytes, lymphocytes in peripheral blood as well as peripheral serum antibacterial activity and antibody titer of large yellow croaker, and significantly reduced the number of peripheral blood granulocytes as compared with those in the control group. No significant difference in acid phosphytase and superoxide dismutase activity of serum was detected between the two groups. It is suggested that non-specific immune factors including leucocytes and anti-bacteria substance in peripheral blood played important role at the initial stage of infection, and specific immune factors such as antibody then played important role in response to anti-infection at the latter stage. © 2009 Chinese Society for Oceanology and Limnology, Science Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.