Efficacy of IgY Proteins for Rotavirus Treatment Demonstrated in Citrobacter and Mouse Model

Hundreds and thousands of babies in third world countries die every year because of Rotavirus, which causes extreme dehydration and diarrhea. Although this virus is easily treatable in the United States, it is more difficult to treat overseas because of the lack of clean water and correct medication. The purpose of the study was to determine a practical method of isolating a protein and developing an antibiotic that could be used overseas in rural areas of widespread Rotavirus infection. The research was conducted using the Citrobacter and mouse model. Citrobacter has a similar virus model as rotavirus, but it can be used in the undergraduate level. This bacterial model was tested using mice, who have comparable genomic similarities as humans. Citrobacter was grown up in lactose broth and then made into a vaccine. The vaccine was administered to chickens that would lay eggs so that the IgY protein could then be isolated from their eggs. Chickens were used for vaccination because their immune systems would produce antibodies that could be harvested from their eggs while avoiding physical discomfort from drawing blood from them. Trials were done on young mice that had not quite developed strong immune systems to stimulate the weakened immune systems those overseas could have. Three groups of mice were set up: a control, IgY and infected group. All of the control mice were fed a strain of MG1655, whereas only the IgY and infected groups were fed Citrobacter rodentium. The citrobacter was then allowed to colonize for a few days and the mice were monitored for changes in symptoms. Observations were recorded daily on what symptoms they were showing and scored based upon an established scoring system. Once the mice exhibited the proper symptoms and score, the isolated IgY protein from the original eggs was fed to the IgY group. The IgY was fed three times a day. The mice that were fed the IgY began to show signs of recovery and lived longer then the infected group. When sacrificed, tissue samples were recovered and observations were made to compare the intestines from each group of mice. Overall it was concluded that when IgY is given orally, it helps to reduce inflammation, decrease symptoms of infection and boost the immune system