Low frequency sonophoresis (LFS) has been recognized as one of the most advanced technologies in transdermal delivery of substances, due to the modification of the stratum corneum lipid bilayer, in focal skin applications in mammals. Based on these findings, LFS has been suggested as a potential technology to be used for enhancement in immersion fish vaccination. In contrast to mammals where LFS is applied to discrete regions of the skin, in fish the whole individual needs to be exposed for practical purposes. The current study evaluated the impact of LFS at 37 kHz on the uptake of an Aeromonas salmonicida bacterin and side effects of the treatment in rainbow trout. Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the bacterin uptake into skin and gill tissue. Side effects were assessed by behavioural examination, histology and blood serum analysis. The sonication intensity of 171 mW/cm² was enough for increasing skin permeability, but caused heavy erratic swimming and gill haemorrhages. Sonication intensities as low as 105 mW/cm² did not modify skin permeability and enhanced the bacterin uptake into the gill tissue by factor 15 compared to conventional immersion. Following sonication, the gill permeability for the bacterin decreased after 20 min and 120 min by factor 3 and 2, respectively. However, during sonication, erratic swimming of the fish raised some concerns. Further reduction of the sonication intensity to 57 mW/cm² did not induce erratic swimming, and the bacterin uptake into the gill tissue was still increased by factor 3. In addition, a decreasing albumin-globulin ratio in the serum of the rainbow trout within 40 min revealed that LFS leads to an inflammatory response. Consequently, based on both increased bacterin uptake and the inflammatory response, low intensity LFS has the potential to enhance vaccine immunity without significant side effects.
Keywords: Aeromonas; Permeability; Trout; Ultrasound; Vaccination.
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