title: ALeishmaniamurine model to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties ofPythium insidiosumproteins.
abstract: Pythium insidiosumimmunomodulatory vaccine (PiV) has been tested in clinical and experimental pythiosis. Previous data showed thatP. insidiosumimmunogens have the ability to switch the Th2 immune response, normally in place during pythiosis, to a curative Th1 response. Pythiosis cannot be reproduced in experimental rodents with the exception of rabbits, and thus thorough evaluation of PiV´s immunomodulatory properties has been limited by the lack of a compatible inbred mouse model. In this study, we took advantage of the murine BALB/cLeishmaniainfection model, where infected mice produce a Th2 response, to evaluate the PiV Th2 to Th1 immunomodulatory potential. Twenty-one days following challenge withL. major,large cutaneous granulomas developed in control mice, consistent with the expected Th2 response. In contrast,Leishmania-induced cutaneous lesions in PiV-immunized mice were minimal or absent. Flow cytometry analysis of spleen cells from mice immunized with PiV and subsequently challenged withL. majordisplayed more CD4+ and CD8+ cells than the control group. Moreover, spleen cells from mice that were immunized with PiV then challenged withL. majorsecreted high levels of IFN-γ, with a moderate IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 mixed cytokine profile uponin vitrore-stimulation with PiV. Anti-P. insidiosumIgG1 in immunized animals was present at low titers suggesting a minor immunological role for this Ig isotype in this model. Our preliminary data showed that BALB/c mice challenged withL. majorrepresent an attractive model in which to study PiV´s immunomodulatory properties.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiana Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Inêz-Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan USA; Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan USA.
authors.forename: Leonel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan USA.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária da UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hélida Monteiro de
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária da UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Freire Campos
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabela Moreira
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Gondim
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tânia Mara Pinto Dabés
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vicente de Paulo Coelho Peixoto
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: de Toledo
keywords: Immunology; Infectious diseases; Physiology