Tuftsin-mediated immunoprophylaxis against an isolate of Aspergillus fumigatus shows less in vivo susceptibility to amphotericin B.
In the present study, we evaluated the immunopotentiating efficacy of tuftsin against experimental murine aspergillosis in both normal and immunodebilitant BALB/c mice. The animals were challenged with an isolate of Aspergillus fumigatus (1x10(8) cfu/mouse) that was showing less susceptibility to lower doses of amphotericin B in murine animal model. Co-administration of the immunomodulator tuftsin and liposomised-amphotericin B was found to be highly effective in the treatment of systemic infection of A. fumigatus in both immunocompetent and leukopenic mice. Moreover, pre-treatment of mice with liposomised-tuftsin prior to challenging them with A. fumigatus infection and subsequent treatment with tuftsin-bearing liposomised-amphotericin B was found to be extremely efficient in successful elimination of fungal pathogen. In another set of experiments, tuftsin-mediated antigen-specific memory antibody response was also assessed by immunizing the animals with A. fumigatus cytosolic antigen. The animals that received a booster 150 days after the first immunization with tuftsin-liposomes-antigen showed more resistance to A. fumigatus infection in comparison with the naïve animals.
Khan
Masood A
MA
Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India; Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
Ahmad
Nadeem
N
Moin
Shagufta
S
Mannan
A
A
Wajahul
Haq
H
Pasha
S T
ST
Khan
Arif
A
Owais
Mohammad
M
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008081:Liposomes; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D014405:Tuftsin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008081:Liposomes; D000666:Amphotericin B; D014405:Tuftsin