title: Effects of adjuvant, dose and carrier pre-sensitisation on the immunisation efficacy of a GnRH analogue.
abstract: A GnRH-neutralising vaccine, with potential applications in the treatment of human sex hormone-dependent disorders, was developed by conjugating GnRH-glycys to tetanus toxoid. An evaluation of adjuvant, dose and carrier pre-sensitisation was made. Male rats immunised with the conjugate, adsorbed onto alum, showed higher anti-GnRH antibody levels and suppressed testosterone concentrations, compared with animals immunised without adjuvant. Conjugate administration in a four injection regime proved to be the most effective in disrupting fertility, as assessed by the degree of lowered testosterone levels and gonadal atrophy. Pre-sensitisation with tetanus toxoid had an initial marked effect on immunisation, observed following 2 drug doses; the pre-sensitised animals showed a lower antibody response to the conjugate than did the non-primed animals. However, as the number of drug doses increased to 4, there was no significant difference between the primed and non-primed animals.
authors.affiliation: University of Strathclyde, Department of Immunology, Todd Centre, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Stimson
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001284:Atrophy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013739:Testosterone; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide