Anti-Mouse IgG2b polyclonal antibody [R-PE]

Trypanosoma cruzi is the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease, which is considered by the World Health Organization to be a neglected tropical disease. Two drugs exist for the treatment of Chagas disease, nifurtimox and benznidazole; they are only effective in the acute phase, and a vaccine is currently not available. In this study, we used the recombinant enolase from T. cruzi H8 strain (MHOM/MX/1992/H8 Yucatan) (rTcENO) and its encoding DNA (pBKTcENO) to immunize mice and evaluate their protective effects in an experimental murine model of acute phase infection. Our results showed that mice vaccinated with rTcENO or its encoding DNA were able to generate typical specific antibodies (IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b), suggesting that a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response was induced. The parasite burden in the blood was reduced to 69.8% and 71% in mice vaccinated with rTcENO and pBKTcENO, respectively. The group vaccinated with rTcENO achieved 75% survival, in contrast to the group vaccinated with pBKTcENO that showed no survival in comparison to the control groups. Moreover, rTcENO immunization elevated the production of IFN-gamma and IL-2 after the parasite challenge, suggesting that the Th1-type immune response was polarized. These results indicated that rTcENO could be used as a vaccine against Chagas disease.

Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases of worldwide distribution caused by the infection of genus Brucella. Live attenuated vaccines such as B. abortus S19, B. abortus RB51 and B. melitensis Revl are found most effective against brucellosis infection in animals, contriving a number of serious side effects and having chances to revert back into their active pathogenic form. In order to engineer a safe and effective vaccine candidate to be used in both animals and human, a recombinant subunit vaccine molecule comprising the truncated region of glucokinase (r-glk) gene from B. abortus S19 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21DE3 host. Female BALB/c mice immunized with purified recombinant protein developed specific antibody titer of 1:64,000. The predominant IgG2a and IgG2b isotypes signified development of Th1 directed immune responses. In vitro cell cytotoxicity assay using anti-r-glk antibodies incubated with HeLa cells showed 81.20% and 78.5% cell viability against lethal challenge of B. abortus 544 and B. melitensis 16M, respectively. The lymphocyte proliferative assay indicated a higher splenic lymphocyte responses at 25 mu g/ml concentration of protein which implies the elevated development of memory immune responses. In contrast to control, the immunized group of mice intraperitoneal (I.P.) challenged with B. abortus 544 were significantly protected with no signs of necrosis and vacuolization in their liver and spleen tissue. The elevated B-cell response associated with Th1 adopted immunity, significant in vitro cell viability as well as protection afforded in experimental animals after challenge, supplemented with histopathological analysis are suggestive of r-glk protein as a prospective candidate vaccine molecule against brucellosis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.