Protective Effects of Pidotimod Against Salmonella Infections

Pidotimod has been shown to exhibit immunomodulatory activities and exert protective effects against bacterial infections. This study aimed at evaluating the protective effects of pidotimod against Salmonella infections in mice. C57BL/6 mice were assigned into 6 groups: Control group; Low-dose pidotimod group (PL, 12.5 μg/gram of body weight); High-dose pidotimod group (PH, 200 μg/gram of body weight); ST infection group (ST); Low-dose pidotimod and ST infection group (PL + ST); and High-dose pidotimod and ST infection group (PH + ST). Mice in each group were gavaged 200 μL ddH2O with or without pidotimod per day before Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (ST) challenge. It was shown that high-dose pidotimod pretreatment alleviated weight loss, inhibited ST associated spleen and liver damage, suppressed serum TNF-α levels and elevated IL-10 levels. Moreover, it elevated CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio in the blood. In conclusion, oral pidotimod can effectively enhance clinical responses to Salmonella infections.