BALB/c Mice Vaccinated with Leishmania major Ribosomal Proteins Extracts Combined with CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Become Resistant to Disease Caused by a Secondary Parasite Challenge
Figure 1
Course of L. major infection in BALB/c vaccinated mice. Mice (six per group) were s.c. immunized in the right footpad with three doses of the LRP adjuvated with CpG ODN (LRP + CpG), with the CpG ODN adjuvant (CpG) or with PBS. One month after the last immunization, the animals were infected in the left hind footpad with L. major stationary phase promastigotes. (a) Footpad swelling is given as the difference of thickness between the infected and the uninfected contralateral footpad. (b) The number of viable parasites in the spleen and the popliteal DLN of the LRP + CpG ODN vaccinated were individually determined by limiting dilution at week eighteen post challenge. Results are expressed as the mean±SD of six spleens and popliteal DLN. (c) At week eighteen after footpad infection the level of IFN-, IL-10 and IL-4 was measure by ELISA in the supernatants of popliteal lymph node cells cultures from LRP + CpG ODN vaccinated mice. Cells were in vitro stimulated for 48 hours with 12 g/ml of SLA or LRP and medium alone. Results are expressed as the mean±SD.
