title: A novel adjuvant, mixture of Alum and naltrexone, elicits humoral immune responses for excreted/secreted antigens of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites vaccine in Balb/c murine model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The excreted-secreted antigens (ESA) from the tachyzoites seem to play a key role in immunity against Toxoplasma gondii. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Alum-NLT mixture, as a new adjuvant, can induce humoral immunity in response to excreted secreted antigens (ESA) of Toxoplasma gondii as a model vaccine or not.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six- to eight-week-old female Balb/c mice were divided into five groups. Mice in the experimental groups received either ESA vaccine alone or in combination with the adjuvant Alum, NLT or Alum-NLT mixture; Mice in the negative control group received phosphate buffered saline (PBS). All mice were immunised, three times subcutaneously (s.c.) with a total volume of 150μl each with a 10-day interval. Ten days after the final immunisation, immune response to Toxoplasma gondii was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results revealed that Alum-NLT mixture as an adjuvant during vaccination boosts the efficacy of the ESA vaccine by means of increasing Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgG, IgG2a production and the ratio of IgG2a/IgG1 (P-value < 0.05). The use of this adjuvant mixture improved the protective immunity against Toxoplasma gondii.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of the Alum-NLT mixture as an adjuvant in ESA vaccine enhances humoral immunity.
authors: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
authors: Khosrow Hazrati
authors: KH
authors: Tappeh
authors: Zohre
authors: Z
authors: Khorshidvand
authors: Shahram
authors: S
authors: Shahabi
authors: Habib
authors: H
authors: Mohammadzadeh
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000276:immunology*; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; C041524:aluminum sulfate; D009271:Naltrexone