RecombinantToxoplasma gondiiphosphoglycerate mutase 2 confers protective immunity against toxoplasmosis in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most widespread zoonoses worldwide. It has a high incidence and can result in severe disease in humans and livestock. Effective vaccines are needed to limit and prevent infection with Toxoplasma gondii. In this study, we evaluated the immuno-protective efficacy of a recombinant Toxoplasma gondii phosphoglycerate mutase 2 (rTgPGAM 2) against T. gondii infection in BALB/c mice. We report that the mice nasally immunised with rTgPGAM 2 displayed significantly higher levels of special IgG antibodies against rTgPGAM 2 (including IgG1, IgG2a and IgAs) and cytokines (including IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4) in their blood sera and supernatant of cultured spleen cells compared to those of control animals. In addition, an increased number of spleen lymphocytes and enhanced lymphocyte proliferative responses were observed in the rTgPGAM 2-immunised mice. After chronic infection and lethal challenge with the highly virulent T. gondii RH strain by oral gavage, the survival time of the rTgPGAM 2-immunised mice was longer (P < 0.01) and the survival rate (70%) was higher compared with the control mice (P < 0.01). The reduction rate of brain and liver tachyzoites in rTgPGAM 2-vaccinated mice reached approximately 57% and 69% compared with those of the control mice (P < 0.01). These results suggest that rTgPGAM 2 can generate protective immunity against T. gondii infection in BALB/c mice and may be a promising antigen in the further development of an effective vaccine against T. gondii infection.

Congenital human toxoplasmosis caused by non-clonal Toxoplasma gondii genotypes in Argentina

“…caninum ( Chen et al, 2016;Dellarupe et al, 2014a;Mordue et al, 2001;Nischik et al, 2001;Rodgers et al, 2005;Sibley et al, 2002;Tao et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016).…”

“…En modelo murino, la caracterización del perfil linfocitario se hace a partir de ensayos de linfoproliferación, en éstos se realiza el cultivo de células de bazo de ratones infectados y se procede a desafiarlos con antígeno de lisado total (TLA) de T. gondii. Habitualmente se utiliza la cepa RH para la producción del TLA ( Chen et al, 2016;Tao et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016), pero algunos autores han propuesto desafiar los cultivos contra los mismos TLA con los que han sido inoculados los ratones (Rodgers et al, 2005). A continuación, se deben incubar los cultivos, los tiempos varían respecto a la IL que se desee buscar ( Chen et al, 2016;Tao et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016).…”

“…Habitualmente se utiliza la cepa RH para la producción del TLA ( Chen et al, 2016;Tao et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016), pero algunos autores han propuesto desafiar los cultivos contra los mismos TLA con los que han sido inoculados los ratones (Rodgers et al, 2005). A continuación, se deben incubar los cultivos, los tiempos varían respecto a la IL que se desee buscar ( Chen et al, 2016;Tao et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016). La medición de las IL se realiza a partir de los sobrenadantes de los cultivos, generalmente por la técnica de ELISA descripta en el párrafo anterior.…”

“…La medición de las IL se realiza a partir de los sobrenadantes de los cultivos, generalmente por la técnica de ELISA descripta en el párrafo anterior. También se pueden medir IL in vivo a partir del suero obtenido de los ratones infectados (Wang et al, 2016), aunque no es el método utilizado con frecuencia. En general, estas mediciones se realizan frente al desafío de vacunas experimentales en murinos.…”

The liver as an organ at risk forToxoplasmatransmission during transplantation: myth or reality?

“…In a murine model using Swiss mice, the brain and the liver were the least infected organs after infection with RH strain and ME49 strain, respectively 16. Also, with the RH strain but using BALB/c mice, Wang et al observed higher parasite loads in the liver than in the brain 17. Juránková et al quantified Toxoplasma in different tissues from artificially infected goats (ingestion of oocysts)18 and showed that at 30 days postinfection (dpi), the liver was the least infected organ (50% of samples, with lowest parasite loads) but became one of the most infected ones at 90 dpi (100% of samples, fourth highest mean parasite load after lung, dorsal muscle and brain specimens).…”