Mediators of Inflammation
Volume 2008 (2008), Article ID 534532, 11 pages
doi:10.1155/2008/534532
Research Article
Toll-Like Receptors and Cytokines as Surrogate Biomarkers for Evaluating
Vaginal Immune Response following Microbicide Administration
Immunology Division, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, J.M. Street, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India
Received 13 May 2008; Revised 5 August 2008; Accepted 20 August 2008
Academic Editor: Giuseppe Valacchi
Copyright © 2008 Sadhana M. Gupta et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Topical microbicides are intended for frequent use by women in reproductive age. Hence, it is essential to evaluate their impact on mucosal immune function in the vagina. In the present study, we evaluated nisin, a naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide (AMP), for its efficacy as an intravaginal microbicide. Its effect on the vaginal immune function was determined by localizing Toll-like receptors (TLRs-3, 9) and cytokines (IL-4, 6 , 10 and TNF-α) in the rabbit cervicovaginal epithelium following intravaginal administration of high dose of nisin gel for 14 consecutive days. The results revealed no alteration in the expression of TLRs and cytokines at both protein and mRNA levels. However, in SDS gel-treated group, the levels were significantly upregulated with the induction of NF-κB signalling cascade. Thus, TLRs and cytokines appear as sensitive indicators for screening immunotoxic potential of candidate microbicides.