ABSTRACT
AIM: To construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid of murine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) and investigate the effect of MIP-1alpha as an adjuvant on immune response induced by herpes simplex virus type II glycoprotein D (HSV-II gD) DNA vaccine. METHODS: Using total RNA from RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS, the whole code sequence of murine MIP-1alpha was amplified by RT-PCR and inserted into pcDNA3 at Hind III/Xba I restriction sites. The recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid Pm was transiently expressed in COS-7 cells and its specificity was demonstrated by RT-PCR and Boyden chemotaxis chamber assay. BALB/c mice were immunized with gD DNA vaccine and/or MIP-1alpha, and the effect of MIP-1alpha on gD DNA vaccine was evaluated by detecting anti-HSV-II antibody, antigen-specific lymphoproliferative responses, and examining survival rates after mice were challenged intravaginally with HSV-II. RESULTS: The recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid of murine MIP-1alpha was constructed, and it was revealed that immune responses of HSV-II gD DNA vaccine were enhanced by coimmunization with MIP-1alpha. CONCLUSION: The murine MIP-1alpha can be used as an adjuvant of HSV-II gD DNA vaccine.
Subject(s)
Chemokine CCL3/immunology , DNA, Viral/immunology , Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine/genetics , Plasmids/metabolism , Animals , COS Cells , Chemokine CCL3/genetics , Chemokine CCL3/metabolism , Chlorocebus aethiops , Female , Gene Expression , Immunization , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Plasmids/geneticsABSTRACT
In this study, we examined the effectiveness of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha cDNA as a HSV-2 DNA vaccine adjuvant. pcDNA3-gD (pgD) and pcDNA3-MIP-1alpha (pMIP-1alpha) were co-injected to examine the modulatory effects of MIP-1alpha on immune phenotype and protection against lethal challenge with HSV-2. We found that Th-cell proliferative responses were dramatically enhanced by co-injection of pgD and pMIP-1alpha compared with injection of pgD alone. The secretion of IL-2 and IFN-gamma was also significantly increased by pgD and pMIP-1alpha co-injection; however, the production of cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 was not affected by co-injection. pgD and pMIP-1alpha co-injection resulted in a moderate enhancement of systemic gD-specific antibody level, but mucosal secretory IgA was markedly enhanced. When BALB/c mice were challenged intravaginally with 100 LD50 of HSV-2 strain Sav, pMIP-1alpha co-injection with pgD improved their survival rate and significantly reduced both the number of mice with lesions and the lesion severity. Therefore, MIP-1alpha cDNA as a HSV-2 DNA vaccine adjuvant drives antigen-specific Th1-type responses, reducing HSV-2-derived morbidity and mortality.