Immunization with Brugia malayi Myosin as Heterologous DNA Prime Protein Boost Induces Protective Immunity against B. malayi Infection in Mastomys coucha

PLoS One. 2016 Nov 9;11(11):e0164991. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164991. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

The current control strategies employing chemotherapy with diethylcarbamazine, ivermectin and albendazole have reduced transmission in some filaria-endemic areas, there is growing interest for complementary approaches, such as vaccines especially in light of threat of parasite developing resistance to mainstay drugs. We earlier demonstrated recombinant heavy chain myosin of B. malayi (Bm-Myo) as a potent vaccine candidate whose efficacy was enhanced by heterologous DNA prime/protein boost (Myo-pcD+Bm-Myo) vaccination in BALB/c mice. BALB/c mouse though does not support the full developmental cycle of B. malayi, however, the degree of protection may be studied in terms of transformation of challenged infective larvae (L3) to next stage (L4) with an ease of delineating the generated immunological response of host. In the current investigation, DNA vaccination with Bm-Myo was therefore undertaken in susceptible rodent host, Mastomys coucha (M. coucha) which sustains the challenged L3 and facilitates their further development to sexually mature adult parasites with patent microfilaraemia. Immunization schedule consisted of Myo-pcD and Myo-pcD+Bm-Myo followed by B. malayi L3 challenge and the degree of protection was evaluated by observing microfilaraemia as well as adult worm establishment. Myo-pcD+Bm-Myo immunized animals not only developed 78.5% reduced blood microfilarial density but also decreased adult worm establishment by 75.3%. In addition, 75.4% of the recovered live females revealed sterilization over those of respective control animals. Myo-pcD+Bm-Myo triggered higher production of specific IgG and its isotypes which induced marked cellular adhesion and cytotoxicity (ADCC) to microfilariae (mf) and L3 in vitro. Both Th1 and Th2 cytokines were significantly up-regulated displaying a mixed immune response conferring considerable protection against B. malayi establishment by engendering a long-lasting effective immune response and therefore emerges as a potential vaccination method against LF.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / immunology
  • Brugia malayi / genetics
  • Brugia malayi / immunology*
  • Brugia malayi / metabolism
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Female
  • Filariasis / immunology*
  • Filariasis / parasitology
  • Filariasis / prevention & control
  • Helminth Proteins / genetics
  • Helminth Proteins / immunology*
  • Helminth Proteins / metabolism
  • Host-Parasite Interactions / immunology
  • Immunization, Secondary / methods
  • Male
  • Murinae / immunology*
  • Murinae / parasitology
  • Myosin Heavy Chains / genetics
  • Myosin Heavy Chains / immunology*
  • Myosin Heavy Chains / metabolism
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Th1 Cells / metabolism
  • Th2 Cells / immunology
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vaccination / methods
  • Vaccines, DNA / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, DNA / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Cytokines
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Vaccines, DNA
  • Myosin Heavy Chains

Grants and funding

The financial support was received in the form of research fellowship from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, to JG, SM. Authors also wish to acknowledge funding support provided to SMB via the CSIR-Network project SPlenDID. The funders have no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.