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Effect of blood transfusions from different H-2 donors on immune responses in mice.

We studied the effect of blood transfusions (BT) from different H-2 donors on the induction of suppressor cells (SC) and of MLC inhibitory activity in serum in a drug-unmodified mouse model. Balb/c (H-2d) mice were transfused at weekly intervals with whole blood from donors of three strains using two transfusion protocols. In protocol I, blood was transfused first from C3H/HeJ (C3H) (H-2k), then C57Bl (H-2b), and then SJL (H-2s) strain mice, and in protocol II the order of blood donors was reversed. Spleen cells and serum samples were obtained from the transfused mice one and two weeks after the last BT. In both transfusion protocols, the kinetics of responses of cells from recipient transfused mice to cells from the blood donors in MLC were similar to those of cells from nontransfused mice. The peak responses of cells from transfused mice were consistently lower than those of cells from nontransfused mice. In cell-mixing experiments, radiosensitive SC capable of inhibiting responses of Balb/c mice to cells from all three blood donors in MLC could be demonstrated one week after the last transfusion in both protocols. Two weeks after the last BT, SC were demonstrable only against the first (C3H) blood donor in protocol I, and against all three blood donors in protocol II. Serum obtained one week after transfusion in protocol I inhibited responses of Balb/c mice to stimulator lymphocytes from all three blood donors in MLC. Serum obtained two weeks after BT, however, inhibited responses of recipient mice only to the first blood donor. In contrast, in protocol II, serum obtained both one and two weeks after BT did not cause inhibition of responses of cells from Balb/c mice to blood donor cells in MLC. Similar results were obtained when Balb/c mice were transfused at weekly intervals with whole blood from either C3H or from SJL mice. The data suggest that the induction of SC and/or MLC-inhibitory activity in the serum after BT is dependent on the H-2 type of the first blood donor.

Animals↗

Comparison of translocation of different types of microorganisms from the intestinal tract of burned mice.

The aim of this study was to compare the ability of various microorganisms to translocate from the intestine to the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), liver, and spleen in a burned mouse model. Balb/c mice were gavaged with 1 x 10(9) or 1 x 10(10) of one of 11 different microorganisms. All animals were then given a 20% burn. Survival after 10 days showed no significant difference between any of the groups at the 10(10) dose. At the 10(9) dose, significantly higher survival rates were found in three of the 11 strains. Microbial translocation (gavage of 10(10) 111In-labeled organisms) and host's ability to kill translocated bacteria (viable bacteria in tissues) were measured followed by burn injury and sacrifice four hours later. Translocation and killing of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli was high in the MLNs compared with all other groups but translocation was lower to the liver. Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Serratia translocated more evenly to all the tissues. However, these groups showed very high clearance of bacteria in the liver and spleen except for Klebsiella and one strain of Pseudomonas in the spleen. Candida showed poor translocation to all of the tissues and high clearance. It is concluded that various strains of bacteria translocate from the intestine to a similar degree after injury, but the tissues to which they translocate and the rate at which they are killed are somewhat strain dependent.

Animals↗

Protective immunity against lethal HSV-1 challenge in mice by nucleic acid-based immunisation with herpes simplex virus type-1 genes specifying glycoproteins gB and gD.

DNA-based vaccines were employed to assess protective immunity against herpes simplex virus in experimental infections of hairless (strain SKH1) and BALB/c mice. Mice were vaccinated with plasmids containing the herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B (gB) or D (gD) genes under the human cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter control. Vaccines were injected intramuscularly (i.m.) or intraperitoneally (i.p.) as purified DNA alone or as formulations supplemented with different non-ionic block copolymers. Antibody responses were assessed by immunofluorescence and radio-immunoprecipitation assays. Mice inoculated with either gB or gD plasmid, alone or with non-ionic block copolymers CRL 1029 and CRL 1190, produced high levels of antibodies specific for gB or gD. Three weeks after the last vaccination, mice were challenged with a clinical HSV-1 isolate (ABGK-1) by inoculation of a shaved and subsequently scarified area between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae. Mice immunised with either gD or gB plasmid alone or mixed with copolymers were protected against lethal HSV-1 challenge when immunisation was performed via the i.m. route. Immunisations given via the i.p. route induced humoral responses in some mice and protected the animals against lethal HSV-1 challenge only when the formulations contained copolymers. The BALB/c mouse model was shown to be as good a model as the hairless mouse model.

Animals↗

Visceral leishmaniasis: drug carrier system characteristics and the ability to clear parasites from the liver, spleen and bone marrow in Leishmania donovani infected BALB/c mice.

The efficacy of various sodium stibogluconate formulations against Leishmania donovani has been investigated using a BALB/c mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis. Only one therapy, multiple dosing with drug loaded sonicated vesicles, liposomes or niosomes, was found to be effective against parasites in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. Other treatments significantly reduced parasite liver burdens but either failed to effect spleen and bone marrow parasites, or were effective but toxic. Prophylactic treatment with sodium stibogluconate preparations, six days before infection, reduced parasite multiplication in the liver (free, niosomal and liposomal drug) and the spleen (sonicated, drug loaded niosomes only), but had no suppressive effect on bone marrow parasite burdens compared with controls. These results indicate that in-vivo sodium stibogluconate persists in some compartments at parasiticidal concentrations and that failure to reach this concentration at some sites of infection such as bone marrow, is the cause of treatment failure and relapse.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗

Inhibition of inflammation and remodeling by roflumilast and dexamethasone in murine chronic asthma.

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors have potential as alternatives or adjuncts to glucocorticoid therapy in asthma. We compared roflumilast (a selective PDE4 inhibitor) with pentoxifylline (a nonselective inhibitor) and dexamethasone in ameliorating the lesions of chronic asthma in a mouse model. BALB/c mice sensitized to ovalbumin were chronically challenged with aerosolized antigen for 6 weeks. During weeks 5 and 6, groups of animals were treated with roflumilast or dexamethasone by daily gavage or with pentoxifylline by daily intraperitoneal injection. Airway hyper-reactivity (AHR) was evaluated by whole-body plethysmography and airway lesions by histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry. Compared with vehicle alone, treatment with roflumilast or dexamethasone significantly reduced accumulation of eosinophils and chronic inflammatory cells, subepithelial collagenization, and thickening of the airway epithelium. Dexamethasone also reduced goblet cell hyperplasia/metaplasia, subepithelial accumulation of transforming growth factor-beta1, and epithelial cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for nuclear factor-kappaB. Treatment with pentoxifylline inhibited only eosinophil recruitment and epithelial thickening. Roflumilast and dexamethasone slightly decreased AHR, whereas this was significantly reduced by pentoxifylline. Thus, in this model of chronic asthma, both roflumilast and dexamethasone were potent inhibitors of airway inflammation and remodeling. Roflumilast did not diminish accumulation of transforming growth factor-beta1, suggesting that it might affect remodeling by mechanisms distinct from glucocorticoids.

Aminopyridines↗

In vitro and in vivo activities of a triterpenoid saponin extract (PX-6518) from the plant Maesa balansae against visceral leishmania species.

The in vitro and in vivo activities of a mixture of six oleane triterpene saponins, recovered from the methanolic extract of the leaves of the Vietnamese plant Maesa balansae (PX-6518), were evaluated against drug-sensitive visceral Leishmania strains. The in vitro 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) against intracellular Leishmania infantum amastigotes was 0.04 micro g/ml. The cytotoxic concentrations causing 50% cell death (CC(50)s) were about 1 micro g/ml in murine macrophage host cells and >32 micro g/ml in human fibroblasts (MRC-5 cell line). Evaluation in the Leishmania donovani BALB/c mouse model indicated that a single subcutaneous administration of 0.4 mg/kg at 1 day after infection reduced liver amastigote burdens by about 95% in all treated animals. If treatment was delayed until 14 days after infection, a dose of 1.6 mg/kg of body weight was required to maintain the same level of activity. Single 250-mg/kg doses of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) 1 and 14 days after infection produced comparable efficacies. A single dose of PX-6518 at 2.5 mg/kg administered 5 days before infection was still 100% effective in preventing liver infection, suggesting a particularly long residual action. Spleen and bone marrow could not be cleared by PX-6518 nor sodium stibogluconate. PX-6518 did not show activity after oral dosing at up to 200 mg/kg for 5 days. This study concludes that triterpenoid saponins from M. balansae show promising in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial potential and can be considered as new lead structures in the search for novel antileishmanial drugs.

Animals↗

Pathogenesis of Campylobacter spp. in athymic and euthymic germfree mice.

Adult athymic (nu/nu) and euthymic (+/nu) germfree BALB/c mice were orally challenged with pure cultures of Campylobacter jejuni (human clinical fecal strains) and a human blood isolate of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus. After a period of adaptation to the mouse intestinal tract, all three C. jejuni strains caused disease in gnotobiotic mice. Mouse-adapted, weakly cytotoxic C. jejuni 45100 consistently induced disease symptoms (transient diarrhea, cecal shrinkage, and acute inflammatory changes with eosinophilia in the lower intestinal mucosa) in nu/nu mice 7 to 9 days after oral challenges. Conversely, no overt disease or histopathology was evident in +/nu mice challenged with the same strain (45100). After periods of adaptation in the murine alimentary tract, the two C. jejuni strains, 24 and INN 73-83, with greater cytotoxin-producing capacities, decreased cecal size and caused minor mucosal inflammatory changes in both nu/nu and +/nu BALB/c mice 1 to 2 weeks after intestinal colonization. A transient splenomegaly was also evident at 1 to 2 weeks after germfree nu/nu mice were colonized with each of the three C. jejuni strains used in this study. Occult blood was observed in a small percentage (approximately 11%) of nu/nu and +/nu BALB/c mice that were colonized with C. jejuni strains 45100 and INN 73-83. C. fetus subsp. fetus 255 colonized the alimentary tract of gnotobiotic mice, but neither morbidity nor mortality was evident. The disease we observed in the gnotobiotic mice, along with the histological changes in the intestinal tract after oral challenges, resembles symptoms of campylobacteriosis in humans. The gnotobiotic BALB/c mouse model of Campylobacter disease provides a unique opportunity to detail basic aspects of the acute and chronic pathogenesis of and immunity to this recently recognized disease.

Animals↗

Effects of immune colostrum and orally administered antisporozoite monoclonal antibodies on the outcome of Cryptosporidium parvum infections in neonatal mice.

A neonatal BALB/c mouse model of cryptosporidiosis was used to examine the potential passive transfer of immunity via immune colostrum and oral treatment with anticryptosporidial monoclonal antibodies. Neonates suckled by dams that recovered from Cryptosporidium parvum infections were equally susceptible to infection as their control counterparts suckled by naive dams. Parasite loads among the control and immune colostrum-fed mice were indistinguishable. Neonates receiving orally administered antisporozoite monoclonal antibodies were equally susceptible to infections compared with the control and immune colostrum-fed mice. Parasite loads among the mice receiving daily oral treatment with monoclonal antibody mixtures exhibited significantly lower parasite loads compared with the control mice (P less than 0.05).

Administration, Oral↗

Porphyromonas gingivalis virulence in mice: induction of immunity to bacterial components.

Selected cell envelope components of Porphyromonas gingivalis were tested in a BALB/c mouse model in an attempt to elucidate further the outer membrane components of this putative oral pathogen that might be considered as virulence factors in host tissue destruction. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), outer membrane, and outer membrane vesicles of P. gingivalis W50, ATCC 53977, and ATCC 33277 were selected to examine an immunological approach for interference with progressing tissue destruction. Mice were actively immunized with heat-killed (H-K) or Formalin-killed (F-K) whole cells or with the outer membrane fraction, LPS, or outer membrane vesicles of the invasive strain P. gingivalis W50. The induction of invasive spreading lesions with tissue destruction and lethality were compared among different immunization groups in normal, dexamethasone-treated (dexamethasone alters neutrophil function at the inflammatory site), and galactosamine-sensitized (galactosamine sensitization increases endotoxin sensitivity) mice after challenge infection with the homologous strain (W50) and heterologous strains (ATCC 53977 and ATCC 33277). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analyses revealed significantly elevated immunoglobulin G and M antibody responses after immunization with H-K or F-K cells or the outer membrane fraction compared with those of nonimmunized mice. The killed whole-cell vaccines provided significantly greater protection against challenge infection in normal mice (decreased lesion size and death) than did either the outer membrane fraction or LPS immunization. The lesion development observed in dexamethasone-pretreated mice was significantly enhanced compared with that of normal mice after challenge with P. gingivalis. Immunization with P. gingivalis W50 provided less protection against heterologous challenge infection with P. gingivalis ATCC 53977; however, some species-specific antigens were recognized and induced protective immunity. Only viable P. gingivalis induced a spreading lesion in normal, dexamethasone-treated, or galactosamine-sensitized mice; F-K or H-K bacteria did not induce lesions. The F-K and outer membrane vesicle immunization offered greater protection from lesion induction than did the H-K immunogen after challenge infection simultaneous with galactosamine sensitization. The H-K cell challenge with galactosamine sensitization produced 100% mortality without lesion induction, suggesting that LPS or LPS-associated outer membrane molecules were functioning like endotoxin. Likewise, P. gingivalis W50 LPS (1 micrograms per animal) administered intravenously produced 80% mortality in galactosamine-sensitized mice. In contrast to the effects of immunization on lesion development, immunization with H-K or F-K cells or LPS provided no protection against intravenous challenge with LPS; 100% of the mice died from acute endotoxin toxicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Aspergillus antigen-induced eosinophil differentiation in a murine model.

Eosinophilia is a prominent feature of the cellular response in allergic and parasitic diseases. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis due to colonization of the lungs of some asthmatics with Aspergillus fumigatus is characterized by high levels of serum immunoglobulin E and peripheral blood (PB) and lung eosinophilia. This study investigates the role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis by using a mouse model. BALB/c mice were immunized intranasally and intraperitoneally with A. fumigatus antigens (Ag), and the eosinophils in PB and bone marrow (BM) were enumerated. Eosinophilopoiesis in BM cultures was studied in the presence of murine recombinant interleukin-5 (mrIL-5) and supernatants from pokeweed mitogen-stimulated spleen cells as the source of eosinophil differentiation factors. Eosinophils were quantitated by direct counting and by estimating eosinophil peroxidase activity. The results indicate that the percentage of eosinophils in the PB (5.77 +/- 1.17) and the BM (11.19 +/- 4.31) of mice exposed to A. fumigatus Ag was higher than in controls (PB, 2.42 +/- 0.76; BM, 5.12 +/- 2.79; P less than 0.01 for both). Similarly, a significant increase in eosinophils was observed in the BM population from mice exposed to A. fumigatus Ag compared with that in controls when cultured with murine recombinant interleukin-5 (23.13 +/- 7.14 versus 13.77 +/- 5.79, P less than 0.01), indicating that the mice exposed to A. fumigatus Ag had significantly greater numbers of eosinophil precursors in their BM. This study demonstrates that A. fumigatus Ag may be involved in the in vivo commitment of stem cells in the eosinophil differentiation pathway.

Animals↗

Response of Leishmania chagasi promastigotes to oxidant stress.

At the onset of infection, Leishmania promastigotes are phagocytized by mammalian macrophages. They must survive despite exposure to toxic oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (.O2-) generated during phagocytosis. We investigated the effects of these oxidants on Leishmania chagasi promastigotes and promastigote mechanisms for oxidant resistance. According to spin trapping and electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry, .O2- could be generated by exposure of promastigotes to the redox-cycling compound menadione. Incubation in either menadione or H2O2 caused a concentration-dependent loss of promastigote viability. However, incubation in sublethal concentrations of H2O2 or menadione caused a stress response in promastigotes. This oxidant-induced response was associated with an increase in the amount of heat shock protein hsp70. Induction of a stress response by exposure of promastigotes either to heat shock or to sublethal oxidants (H2O2 or menadione) caused promastigotes to become more resistant to H2O2 toxicity. Sublethal menadione also caused promastigotes to become more virulent in a BALB/c mouse model of leishmaniasis. We previously correlated H2O2 cytotoxicity for promastigotes with the formation of hydroxyl radical (.OH) from H2O2. However, according to electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry, the increase in H2O2 resistance after exposure to sublethal oxidants was not associated with diminished generation (i.e., scavenging) of .OH. These data suggest that there is a cross-protective stress response that occurs after exposure of L. chagasi promastigotes to heat shock or to sublethal H2O2 or .O2-, exposures that also occur during natural infection. This response results in increased resistance to H2O2 toxicity and increased virulence for a mammalian host.

Animals↗

The HtrA stress response protease contributes to resistance of Brucella abortus to killing by murine phagocytes.

Compared with virulent Brucella abortus 2308, the isogenic htrA mutant PHE1 shows decreased resistance to killing by cultured murine neutrophils and macrophages and significant attenuation during the early stages of infection in the BALB/c mouse model. These findings further define the contributions of the htrA gene product to the pathogenesis of B. abortus infections.

Animals↗

Identification of three highly attenuated Salmonella typhimurium mutants that are more immunogenic and protective in mice than a prototypical aroA mutant.

A panel of Salmonella typhimurium 14028s mutants, which were previously shown to be highly attenuated in the BALB/c mouse model of infection, were analyzed for their potential as live Salmonella oral-vaccine candidates. A prototypical aroA mutant was chosen as a basis of comparison. From the panel of mutants initially chosen for this study, three mutants with comparable levels of attenuation elicited higher Salmonella-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or mucosal secretory-IgA antibody titers than the aroA vaccine strain. The three mutants, CL288, CL401, and CL554, also elicited a better protective immune response than the aroA control strain, after a single oral dose of 1 x 10(9) to 2 x 10(9) bacteria.

3-Phosphoshikimate 1-Carboxyvinyltransferase↗

The siderophore 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid is not required for virulence of Brucella abortus in BALB/c mice.

2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) is the only siderophore described for Brucella, and previous studies suggested that DHBA might contribute to the capacity of these organisms to persist in host macrophages. Employing an isogenic siderophore mutant (DeltaentC) constructed from virulent Brucella abortus 2308, however, we found that production of DHBA is not required for replication in cultured murine macrophages or for the establishment and maintenance of chronic infection in the BALB/c mouse model.

Animals↗

Role of T cells and gamma interferon during induction of hypersensitivity to lipopolysaccharide by toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 in mice.

The superantigenic function of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) is generally regarded as an important determinant of its lethal effects in humans or experimental animals. This study examined the role of superantigenicity in a BALB/c mouse model of lethal TSST-1-induced hypersensitivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this model, TSST-1 greatly potentiated both LPS-induced lethality, as well as LPS-induced serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) activity. Although BALB/c-SCID mice were resistant to these LPS enhancement effects of TSST-1, BALB/c-SCID mice reconstituted with T cells were completely susceptible to the enhancement effect of TSST-1 on LPS-induced serum TNF-alpha. Mice pretreated with cyclosporine (Cs) or neutralizing antibodies against gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) did not develop lethal LPS hypersensitivity when injected with TSST-1, and these agents reduced the enhancement effect of TSST-1 on LPS-induced serum TNF-alpha by 99 and 85%, respectively. Cs pretreatment also completely inhibited the known capacity of TSST-1 to amplify LPS-induced levels of IFN-gamma in serum. In contrast, mice given Cs after a priming injection of TSST-1, but before LPS, still exhibited lethal hypersensitivity to LPS. Cs given after TSST-1 also did not inhibit enhancement of LPS-induced serum TNF-alpha by TSST-1 but inhibited the enhancement effect of TSST-1 on LPS-induced serum IFN-gamma by 50%. These experiments support the theory that TSST-1-induced hypersensitivity to LPS is mediated primarily by IFN-gamma derived from superantigen-activated T cells.

Adoptive Transfer↗

Generation of Helicobacter pylori ghosts by PhiX protein E-mediated inactivation and their evaluation as vaccine candidates.

Bacterial ghosts are empty cell envelopes, which may be generated by the controlled expression of the PhiX174 lysis gene E in gram-negative bacteria to obtain vaccine candidates. We describe here the application of this technology to Helicobacter pylori. The lysis gene cassette was cloned into an Escherichia coli-Helicobacter pylori shuttle vector and introduced into an H. pylori recipient strain by bacterial conjugation. Temperature induction of the lysis gene cassette revealed a quantitative killing of the H. pylori culture without induction of lysis-resistant bacteria. Biochemical and transmission electron microscopic studies identified structurally intact H. pylori. Prophylactic oral vaccination experiments using these H. pylori ghosts in the BALB/c mouse model showed a significant reduction of the bacterial load in the ghost group, as measured by a quantitative bacterial reisolation procedure. Ten of 10 and 5 of 10 mice were protected, respectively, without the use of a mucosal adjuvant. Coadministration of ghosts with cholera toxin as mucosal adjuvant resulted in a complete protection of 10 of 10 and 8 of 8 mice against H. pylori challenge, with three animals showing a sterile immunity.

Animals↗

The Leishmania infantum acidic ribosomal protein P0 administered as a DNA vaccine confers protective immunity to Leishmania major infection in BALB/c mice.

In this study, we examined the immunogenic properties of the Leishmania infantum acidic ribosomal protein P0 (LiP0) in the BALB/c mouse model. The humoral and cellular responses induced by the administration of the LiP0 antigen, either as soluble recombinant LiP0 (rLiP0) or as a plasmid DNA formulation (pcDNA3-LiP0), were determined. Also, the immunological response associated with a prime-boost strategy, consisting of immunization with pcDNA3-LiP0 followed by a boost with rLiP0, was assayed. Immunization with rLiP0 induced a predominant Th2-like humoral response, but no anti-LiP0 antibodies were induced after immunization with pcDNA3-LiP0, whereas a strong humoral response consisting of a mixed immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a)-IgG1 isotype profile was induced in mice immunized with the prime-boost regime. For all three immunization protocols, rLiP0-stimulated production of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in both splenocytes and lymph node cells from immunized mice was observed. However, it was only when mice were immunized with pcDNA3-LiP0 that noticeable protection against L. major infection was achieved, as determined by both lesion development and parasite burden. Immunization of mice with LiP0-DNA primes both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, which, with the L. major challenge, were boosted to produce significant levels of IL-12-dependent, antigen-specific IFN-gamma. Taken together, these data indicate that genetic vaccination with LiP0 induces protective immunological effector mechanisms, yet the immunological response elicited by LiP0 is not sufficient to keep the infection from progressing.

Animals↗

Optimization of codon usage enhances the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine encoding mycobacterial antigen Ag85B.

In spite of its many other benefits, DNA vaccine is limited in its application by its insufficient immunogenicity. One promising approach for enhancing its immunogenicity is to maximize its expression in the immunized host. In the current study, we investigated whether codon optimization of the mycobacterial antigen Ag85B gene could enhance the expression and immunogenicity of the Ag85B DNA vaccine. We generated a synthetic humanized Ag85B (hAg85B) gene in which codon usage was optimized for expression in human cells. DNA plasmids with codon-optimized hAg85B increased the level of protein expression in vitro and in vivo. DNA vaccine with hAg85B induced stronger Th1-like and cytotoxic T-cell immune responses in BALB/c mice and generated higher protective immunity in a BALB/c mouse model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis aerosol infection than did the DNA vaccine with wild-type Ag85B. Therefore, our results suggest that codon optimization of mycobacterial antigens (e.g., Ag85B) could improve protein expression and thereby enhance the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines against M. tuberculosis.

Acyltransferases↗