Abstract
The study was conducted to investigate the promoted immune response to ovalbumin in mice by chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) and its toxicity. CNP did not cause any mortality or side effects when mice were administered subcutaneously twice with a dose of 1.5 mg at 7-day intervals. Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were immunized subcutaneously with 25 μg ovalbumin (OVA) alone or with 25 μg OVA dissolved in saline containing Quil A (10 μg), chitosan (CS) (50 μg) or CNP (12.5, 50 or 200 μg) on days 1 and 15. Two weeks after the secondary immunization, serum OVA-specific antibody titers, splenocyte proliferation, natural killer (NK) cell activity, and production and mRNA expression of cytokines from splenocytes were measured. The serum OVA-specific IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b antibody titers and Con A-, LPS-, and OVA-induced splenocyte proliferation were significantly enhanced by CNP (P < 0.05) as compared with OVA and CS groups. CNP also significantly promoted the production of Th1 (IL-2 and IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-10) cytokines and up-regulated the mRNA expression of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-10 cytokines in splenocytes from the immunized mice compared with OVA and CS groups. Besides, CNP remarkably increased the killing activities of NK cells activity (P < 0.05). The results suggested that CNP had a strong potential to increase both cellular and humoral immune responses and elicited a balanced Th1/Th2 response, and that CNP may be a safe and efficacious adjuvant candidate suitable for a wide spectrum of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.
Highlights
Vaccination remains the most effective and cost-efficient means to prevent infectious diseases
The results suggested that chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) had a strong potential to increase both cellular and humoral immune responses and elicited a balanced Th1/Th2 response, and that CNP may be a safe and efficacious adjuvant candidate suitable for a wide spectrum of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines
IL-10 preferentially switch activated B cells to the IgG1 isotype (Th2 type); IFN-γ and IL-2 enhanced IgG2a and IgG2b response (Th1 type) [54]. These results suggested that the effects of CNP on Th1 and Th2 immune response may result, at least in part, from the regulation of mRNA expression of the cytokines
Summary
Vaccination remains the most effective and cost-efficient means to prevent infectious diseases. The latest trend towards novel and safer vaccines utilizes well-characterized antigens, like purified proteins, peptides, or carbohydrates. These so-called subunit vaccines enable the focusing of the immune response to the desired specificity without the risks associated with vaccines based on whole inactivated or live attenuated pathogens. Such subunit antigens are often poor immunogens when administered alone [1]. Strong adjuvant activity is often correlated with increased toxicity and adverse effects An adjuvant is required to potentiate the immune response to the coadministrated antigen.
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