title: Melatonin treatment enhances the efficiency of mice immunization with Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus TC-83.
abstract: To determine whether treatment with melatonin (MLT) improves the efficiency of immunization against Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus, mice were vaccinated with TC-83 VEE virus and treated daily with MLT (1 or 5 mg/kg) starting 3 days before immunization, until 10 days after. IgM antibody titers were determined at days 7, 14, and 21 post-immunization. IL-10 levels were assayed at day 14 postvaccination. Treatment with MLT increased antibody titers 14 days after the immunization. IL-10 levels also increased with MLT treatment (1 and 5 mg/kg). Mice were challenged with live VEE virus at day 21 postimmunization, and viral titers were plaque assayed in chicken embryo fibroblasts 4 days after the infection. Following this challenge brain virus levels were significantly reduced. The results suggest that MLT treatment enhances the efficiency of mice immunization against VEE virus.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Negrette
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonilla
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia Tamayo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chacín-Bonilla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Medina-Leendertz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Añez
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D007114:Immunization; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D008550:Melatonin