title: Tuftsin-mediated immunoprophylaxis against an isolate of Aspergillus fumigatus shows less in vivo susceptibility to amphotericin B.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India; Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Masood A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Nadeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Shagufta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mannan
authors.forename: Haq
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wajahul
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Pasha
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Owais
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008081:Liposomes; D000666:Amphotericin B; D014405:Tuftsin