黏膜免疫壳聚糖-多胺转运蛋白D(PotD)DNA纳米微粒对小鼠鼻咽部肺炎链球菌定植的保护作用研究

Objective To prepare the chitosan-potD nanoparticles and to evaluate its protective efficacy against pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization. Methods potD gene was amplificated from pneumococcal genome and was inserted into pVAX1 expression vectors to construct pVAX1-potD recombinant plasmid which was then transfected into 293T cell using LipofectAMINE 2000 to analyze transient potD gene expression in vitro by RT-PCR and Western blot. Chitosan-potD nanoparticles were freshly prepared by coacervation methods at each time and the characterizations of the nanoparticles were then evaluated. BALB/c mice were immunized with chitosan-potD, naked potD DNA or pVAX1 for 4 times at two-week intervals. Anti-PotD IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a levels in serum and IgA levels in nasal washes, bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) and middle ear lavages(MEL) were detected by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-17A, IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in splenocytes were determined by double sandwich ELISA. Mice were intrannsally challenged with Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC6303, and Pneumococci were recovered from the nasopharyngeal niche at the fifth day after challenge. Results potD gene was successfully amplificated by PCR and the sequence was confimed to be consistent with that in the Genbank. The pVAX1-potD recombinant plasmid was successfully constructed and was expressed in eukaryocytes in vitro. The mean size and zeta potential of chitosan-potD nanoparticles was 430 nm and + 20.5 mv, respectively. Chitosan-potD nanoparticles were not digested by DNase Ⅰ , while naked potD DNA was completely digested. The levels of antibodies inculding IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgA and cytokines including IL-17A, IL-4 and IFN-γ were significantly higher in mice immunized with chitosan-potD nanoparticles than mice with naked potD or pVAX1 ( P <0.05) only. More importantly, much less Pneumococci were recovered from mice immunized with chitosan-potD nanoparticles than the other groups(P <0.05). Conclusion Chitosan-potD nanoparticles significantly enhanced the immunogenicity and protection efficacy of DNA vaccines by intranasal immunization and could be used as a potential mucosal vaccine to prevent pneumococcal infection.     

黏膜免疫壳聚糖-多胺转运蛋白D(PotD)DNA纳米微粒对小鼠鼻咽部肺炎链球菌定植的保护作用研究

Objective To prepare the chitosan-potD nanoparticles and to evaluate its protective efficacy against pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization. Methods potD gene was amplificated from pneumococcal genome and was inserted into pVAX1 expression vectors to construct pVAX1-potD recombinant plasmid which was then transfected into 293T cell using LipofectAMINE 2000 to analyze transient potD gene expression in vitro by RT-PCR and Western blot. Chitosan-potD nanoparticles were freshly prepared by coacervation methods at each time and the characterizations of the nanoparticles were then evaluated. BALB/c mice were immunized with chitosan-potD, naked potD DNA or pVAX1 for 4 times at two-week intervals. Anti-PotD IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a levels in serum and IgA levels in nasal washes, bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) and middle ear lavages(MEL) were detected by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-17A, IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in splenocytes were determined by double sandwich ELISA. Mice were intrannsally challenged with Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC6303, and Pneumococci were recovered from the nasopharyngeal niche at the fifth day after challenge. Results potD gene was successfully amplificated by PCR and the sequence was confimed to be consistent with that in the Genbank. The pVAX1-potD recombinant plasmid was successfully constructed and was expressed in eukaryocytes in vitro. The mean size and zeta potential of chitosan-potD nanoparticles was 430 nm and + 20.5 mv, respectively. Chitosan-potD nanoparticles were not digested by DNase Ⅰ , while naked potD DNA was completely digested. The levels of antibodies inculding IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgA and cytokines including IL-17A, IL-4 and IFN-γ were significantly higher in mice immunized with chitosan-potD nanoparticles than mice with naked potD or pVAX1 ( P <0.05) only. More importantly, much less Pneumococci were recovered from mice immunized with chitosan-potD nanoparticles than the other groups(P <0.05). Conclusion Chitosan-potD nanoparticles significantly enhanced the immunogenicity and protection efficacy of DNA vaccines by intranasal immunization and could be used as a potential mucosal vaccine to prevent pneumococcal infection.     

肺炎链球菌溶血素黏膜免疫抗定植保护作用的研究

目的 原核表达ΔA146 Ply蛋白,评价ΔA146 Ply黏膜免疫对肺炎链球菌(Streptococcus pneumoniae,S.pn)在宿主鼻咽部定植的保护作用.方法 IPTG诱导、Ni-NTA树脂纯化获得纯化的ΔA146 Ply蛋白,经黏膜免疫BALB/C小鼠,制备其特异性抗血清;进行体内抗定植实验,观察小鼠...     

肺炎链球菌自溶酶（LytA）黏膜免疫小鼠的生物安全性评价

目的开展肺炎链球菌自溶酶（LvtA）生物安全性的动物实验研究,为其申报生物制品鉴定提供实验数据。方法制备纯化的重组表达LytA蛋白,以6．5μg、13．0μg和19．5μg3种剂量黏膜免疫BALB／c小鼠,根据《中华人民共和国国家标准食品安全性毒理学评价程序》（GB15193．1—1994）进行LytA的90d喂养试验、传统致畸试验及遗传毒性试验检测,以分析其生物安全性。结果90d喂养试验结果显示各实验组小鼠与对照组小鼠的体重增长趋势一致,且各时间点检测的小鼠体重均无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。传统致畸试验检测发现各实验组小鼠与对照组小鼠心脏、肺、肝脏、肾、脾、胃、子宫重量、红细胞和白细胞数目、谷丙转氨酶、尿素氮、总胆固醇、甘油三脂、血糖、总蛋白、自蛋白及球蛋白等指标均元明显差异（P〉0．05）。小鼠骨髓嗜多染红细胞微核试验结果显示LytA经鼻腔黏膜免疫小鼠无遗传毒性。结论利用90d喂养试验、传统致畸试验及遗传毒性试验证明LytA鼻腔黏膜免疫BALB／c小鼠安全、毒副作用不明显,有良好的生物安全性,值得进一步研究。     

肺炎链球菌重组自溶酶(Re-LytA)滴鼻免疫小鼠的实验研究

目的 评价重组肺炎链球菌(Streptococcus pneumoniae,Sp)自溶酶(autolysin,LytA)滴鼻免疫诱导小鼠抗Sp感染的保护性效果.方法 用亲和层析的方法纯化出重组Sp LytA蛋白,以CpG作佐剂,对小鼠进行滴鼻免疫(A组).对照组(B组)用无菌盐水滴鼻;多糖疫苗组(C组)用23价多糖疫苗肌肉注射.于末次免疫后2周,用Sp分别以滴鼻和腹腔注射两种方式进行攻击感染.攻击之前采集血清和鼻咽灌洗液等样品,采用ELISA测试其抗体水平.滴鼻攻击后4 d,采集小鼠鼻咽灌洗液和肺灌洗液,进行Sp细菌计数;腹腔注射攻击后7 d内观察各组小鼠死亡情况.结果 B组未检测到LytA抗体和多糖抗体,C组多糖抗体阳性;A组LytA抗体(包括tgG、IgA、sIgA)均明显高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05).腹腔注射攻击后,A、C组小鼠的存活率明显高于B组(P<0.05),A组和C组之间没有明显区别(P>0.05).滴鼻攻击后,A组鼻咽部灌洗液Sp细菌计数明显低于B组和C组(P<0.05).结论 Re-LytA滴鼻免疫可诱导实验小鼠产生一定的抵抗Sp感染的保护性免疫力,这种保护性的免疫力可能与sIgA相关.     

rIL-18对肺炎链球菌肺炎小鼠Th1/Th2免疫应答的影响

目的 研究重组白细胞介素18(rIL-18)对肺炎链球菌肺炎小鼠Th1/ Th2免疫应答的影响.方法 鼻腔接种肺炎链球菌建立小鼠肺炎链球菌肺炎模型,将Balb/c小鼠24只随机分为3组,分别为对照组,肺炎组和肺炎rIL-18干预组(n=8 ),RT-PCR法检测各组小鼠肺组织中IFN-γ、IL-4 mRNA 的表达,同时支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALB)进行活菌计数,有核细胞分类计数.结果 ①肺炎rIL-18干预组BA LF中性粒细胞和巨噬细胞计数显著高于肺炎组和对照组(P＜0.001);②肺炎rIL-18 干预组BALF活菌计数显著低于肺炎组(P＜0.001);③肺炎rIL-18干预组肺组织IFN- γ mRNA表达上调而IL-4 mRNA表达下调(P＜0.001).结论 在小鼠肺炎链球菌肺炎早期给予rIL-18可诱导IFN-γ的合成,促进Th1免疫应答,使Th1/ Th2免疫平衡向Th1免疫偏移、促进宿主对肺炎链球菌的防御.     

皮下免疫锚定蛋白Z抵抗小鼠肺炎链球菌感染的作用研究

为探究锚定蛋白Z(midcell anchored protein Z,MapZ)皮下免疫小鼠后对肺炎链球菌感染模型的免疫保护作用,通过大肠埃希菌原核表达系统表达MapZ后用Ni柱纯化并去除LPS,经皮下注射免疫C57BL/6小鼠制备MapZ特异性抗血清.通过ELISA和Western blotting分析MapZ抗血...     

肺炎链球菌减毒活疫苗SPY1激发小鼠巨噬细胞应答的免疫作用机制研究

目的 探讨肺炎链球菌减毒活疫苗SPY1对巨噬细胞引起的天然免疫应答及机制。方法 体外诱导培养小鼠骨髓来源的巨噬细胞(bone marrow derived macrophage,BMDM),SPY1作用巨噬细胞6 h和24 h后,分别用RT-PCR和ELISA检测细胞因子的表达情况;SPY1作用于野生小鼠以及TLR2、TLR4缺陷小鼠的BMDM 24 h后,ELISA检测TNF-α和IL-6的表达;Western blot检测各信号分子的磷酸化水平;MAPK、PI3K和NF-κB抑制剂处理后,检测细胞因子TNF-α和IL-6的表达变化。结果 SPY1作用巨噬细胞后可引起强烈的免疫应答,此过程不依赖于TLR2和TLR4。MAPK、PI3K和NF-κB信号通路参与调控SPY1引起的巨噬细胞天然免疫应答。结论 肺炎链球菌减毒活疫苗SPY1通过MAPK、PI3K和NF-κB通路产生巨噬细胞天然免疫应答,这一过程不依赖于TLR2和TLR4。     

B族链球菌表面蛋白C5a肽酶系统及鼻内黏膜免疫的研究

目的 研究B族链球菌表面蛋白C5a肽酶(streptococcal C5a peptidase,ScpB)系统及其鼻内途径免疫后在小鼠血清及肺、直肠、阴道等黏膜部位特异性抗体水平,探讨ScpB蛋白黏膜免疫应答的效果.方法 在大肠杆菌BL21中表达ScpB蛋白,亲和层析法进行纯化,质谱分析法对所纯化的蛋白进行鉴定.小鼠随机分为5组,每组10只.分别为对照组、皮下30μg组、鼻内5μg组、鼻内10μg组和鼻内30μg组.用ELISA法检测小鼠血清及黏膜萃取液中特异性抗体水平;调理吞噬试验检测SepB蛋白抗血清的保护性功能.结果 成功表达并纯化了ScpB蛋白;质谱分析和蛋白质库比较证实其为B族链球菌表面蛋白C5a肽酶的可能性分值为175;ELISA显示ScpB蛋白皮下30μg及鼻内不同剂量(5 μg、10 μg、30μg)免疫后均可诱发小鼠产生高水平特异性IgG抗体(P＜0.01),30 μg剂量组IgG大于5μg及10μg剂量组(P＜0.05);鼻内不同剂量(5μg、10μg、30μg)免疫后均可诱发小鼠产生高水平的黏膜特异性IgA抗体,与对照组相比差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);黏膜免疫组间无差异;30 μg ScpB蛋白皮下免疫后黏膜特异性IgA抗体与对照组相比差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).SepB抗血清对细菌具有调理吞噬作用,吞噬指数为12.3,与对照组相比差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 B族链球菌表面蛋白C5a肽酶鼻内途径免疫小鼠后可在血清、肺及阴道、直肠等免疫近端和远端黏膜中产生相应高水平IgG及IgA抗体,上述ScpB抗体具有促进吞噬细胞吞噬B族链球菌的功能.     

肺炎链球菌溶血素减毒突变体免疫小鼠可诱导抗体依赖的保护效应

目的 优化肺炎链球菌溶血素减毒突变体(△A146 Ply)蛋白小鼠免疫方案,评价其保护效果,并揭示△A146 Ply特异性抗体在保护中的作用.方法 分别使用△A146 Ply免疫小鼠1、2、3次,利用ELISA分析血清内特异性IgG滴度,效价测定1周后,使用肺炎链球菌D39菌株鼻腔攻毒评价3种免疫方式保护效力.通过肺内定植模型和败血症模型分析△A146 Ply对肺炎链球菌感染的保护效果.利用抗体吸附试验和模拟被动保护试验分析Ply特异性抗体的保护作用.结果 随着免疫次数的增加,小鼠血清内的IgG滴度显著升高.相比免疫两次的小鼠,3次免疫后的小鼠其体内的IgG升高超过20倍.在攻毒试验中,免疫3次后的小组接受同等剂量的D39攻毒,存活率最高,保护效率为50%.在定植模型中,△A146 Ply免疫后的小鼠,其肺内肺炎链球菌血清型19F的细菌量减少约50倍,14血清型菌减少超过20倍.在败血症模型中,使用1200 CFU的D39腹腔注射到免疫组及对照组小鼠体内,△A146 Ply免疫组有60%的小鼠能够抵抗这种致命剂量的D39感染,对照组小鼠全部死亡(P=0.0018).在被动保护试验中,Ply特异性抗体被吸附完全后的抗血清完全不能保护小鼠抵抗致死剂量的D39感染,60%的小鼠在接受抗体特异的抗血清后存活,两组存活率差异有统计学意义.结论 △A146 Ply能有效抵抗肺炎链球菌的感染,证实保护作用与其特异性抗体密切相关.     

Intranasal vaccination with chitosan-DNA nanoparticles expressing pneumococcal surface antigen a protects mice against nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen, and mucosal immune response plays a significant role in the defense against pneumococcal infections. Thus, intranasal vaccination may be an alternative approach to current immunization strategies, and effective delivery systems to mucosal organism are necessary. In this study, BALB/c mice were immunized intranasally with chitosan-DNA nanoparticles expressing pneumococcal surface antigen A (PsaA). Compared to levels in mice immunized with naked DNA or chitosan-pVAX1, anti-PsaA IgG antibody in serum and anti-IgA antibody in mucosal lavages were elevated significantly in mice immunized with chitosan-psaA. The balanced IgG1/IgG2a antibody ratio in serum, enhanced gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and IL-17A levels in spleen lymphocytes, and mucosal washes of mice immunized with chitosan-psaA suggested that cellular immune responses were induced. Furthermore, significantly fewer pneumococci were recovered from the nasopharynx of mice immunized with chitosan-psaA than for the control group following intranasal challenge with ATCC 6303 (serotype 3). These results demonstrated that mucosal immunization with chitosan-psaA may successfully generate mucosal and systemic immune responses and prevent pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization. Hence, a chitosan-DNA nanoparticle vaccine expressing pneumococcal major immunodominant antigens after intranasal administration could be developed to prevent pneumococcal infections.     

Immunization with polyamine transport protein PotD protects mice against systemic infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae

The human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae contains genes for a putative polyamine ABC transporter which are organized in an operon and designated potABCD. Polyamine transport protein D (PotD) is an extracellular protein which binds polyamines and possibly other structurally related molecules. PotD has been shown to contribute to virulence in both a murine sepsis model and a pneumonia model with capsular type 3 pneumococci. The protective efficacy of recombinant PotD was evaluated by active immunization and intravenous challenge with capsular type 3 pneumococci in CBA/N mice. Immunized mice had 91.7% survival following lethal pneumococcal challenge, compared with 100% mortality in the control group. Immunized animals had high-titer anti-PotD antibodies following three immunizations with alum. Protection in a sepsis model was also seen after passive administration of rabbit antiserum raised against PotD (P < 0.004). These results suggest that antibodies to PotD confer protection against invasive pneumococcal disease and that this protein should be studied further as a potential vaccine candidate for protection against invasive pneumococcal infections.     

Immunization with recombinant Streptococcus pneumoniae neuraminidase NanA protects chinchillas against nasopharyngeal colonization

Immunization with recombinant S. pneumoniae neuraminidase NanA (rNanA) resulted in a significant reduction in pneumococcal colonization in the chinchilla model. The bacteria were eliminated from the nasopharynx 1 week earlier than that from the control cohort. Our data suggest that rNanA affords protection against pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization.     

Intranasal immunization of mice with a mixture of the pneumococcal proteins PsaA and PspA is highly protective against nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Acquisition of pneumococci is generally from carriers rather than from infected individuals. Therefore, to induce herd immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae it will be necessary to elicit protection against carriage. Capsular polysaccharide-protein conjugates, PspA, and PsaA are known to elicit some protection against nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococci but do not always completely eliminate carriage. In this study, we observed that PsaA elicited better protection than did PspA against carriage. Pneumolysin elicited no protection against carriage. Immunization with a mixture of PsaA and PspA elicited the best protection against carriage. These results indicate that PspA and PsaA may be useful for the elicitation of herd immunity in humans. As PspA and pneumolysin are known to elicit immunity to bacteremia and pneumonia, their inclusion in a mucosal vaccine may enable such a vaccine to prevent invasive disease as well as carriage.     

Intranasal immunization with the cholera toxin B subunit-pneumococcal surface antigen A fusion protein induces protection against colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae and has negligible impact on the nasopharyngeal and oral microbiota of mice

One of the candidate proteins for a mucosal vaccine antigen against Streptococcus pneumoniae is PsaA (pneumococcal surface antigen A). Vaccines targeting mucosal immunity may raise concerns as to possible alterations in the normal microbiota, especially in the case of PsaA, which was shown to have homologs with elevated sequence identity in other viridans group streptococci. In this work, we demonstrate that intranasal immunization with a cholera toxin B subunit-PsaA fusion protein is able to protect mice against colonization with S. pneumoniae but does not significantly alter the natural oral or nasopharyngeal microbiota of mice.     

Intranasal immunization with C5a peptidase prevents nasopharyngeal colonization of mice by the group A Streptococcus.

Early inflammatory events are initiated by phased production of C5a and interleukin-8 in tissue. Most serotypes of group A streptococci express a surface-bound peptidase (SCPA) which specifically cleaves mouse and human C5a chemotaxins. This study investigates the impact of SCPA on colonization of the nasopharyngeal mucosa of mice and evaluates its potential to induce protective immunity. Two strains, serotypes M6 and M49, which contain insertion and deletion mutations in the SCPA gene (scpA) and represent the two major subdivisions of group A streptococci, were characterized and compared in a mouse intranasal infection model. In this model, SCPA mutants were more rapidly cleared from the nasopharynges of inoculated mice compared with wild-type strains. A 2,908-bp fragment of scpA49 gene, obtained by PCR, was ligated to the expression vector pGEX-4T-1 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The affinity-purified deltaSCPA49 protein proved to be highly immunogenic in mice and rabbits. Although the purified deltaSCPA49 immunogen lacked enzymatic activity, it induced high titers of rabbit antibodies which were able to neutralize peptidase activity associated with M1, M6, M12, and M49 streptococci in vitro. This result confirmed that antipeptidase antibodies lack serotype specificity. Intranasal immunization of mice with the deleted form of the SCPA49 protein stimulated significant levels of specific salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) and serum IgG antibodies and reduced the potential of wild-type M1, M2, M6, M11, and M49 streptococci to colonize. These experiments suggest a new approach to vaccine development for prevention of streptococcal pharyngitis.     

Recombinant PhpA protein, a unique histidine motif-containing protein from Streptococcus pneumoniae, protects mice against intranasal pneumococcal challenge

The multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is effective against both systemic disease and otitis media caused by serotypes contained in the vaccine. However, serotypes not covered by the current conjugate vaccine may still cause pneumococcal disease. To address these serotypes and the remaining otitis media due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, we have been evaluating antigenically conserved proteins from S. pneumoniae as vaccine candidates. A previous report identified a 20-kDa protein with putative human complement C3-proteolytic activity. By utilizing the publicly released pneumococcal genomic sequences, we found the gene encoding the 20-kDa protein to be part of a putative open reading frame of approximately 2,400 bp. We recombinantly expressed a 79-kDa fragment (rPhpA-79) that contains a repeated HxxHxH motif and evaluated it for vaccine potential. The antibodies elicited by the purified rPhpA-79 protein were cross-reactive to proteins from multiple strains of S. pneumoniae and were against surface-exposed epitopes. Immunization with rPhpA-79 protein adjuvanted with monophosphoryl lipid A (for subcutaneous immunization) or a mutant cholera toxin, CT-E29H (for intranasal immunization), protected CBA/N mice against death and bacteremia, as well as reduced nasopharyngeal colonization, following intranasal challenge with a heterologous pneumococcal strain. In contrast, immunization with the 20-kDa portion of the PhpA protein did not protect mice. These results suggest that rPhpA-79 is a potential candidate for use as a vaccine against pneumococcal systemic disease and otitis media.     

Intranasal vaccination with pneumococcal surface protein A and interleukin-12 augments antibody-mediated opsonization and protective immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major pathogen in humans that enters the host primarily through the respiratory tract. Targeting mucosal surfaces directly may therefore be an optimal approach for vaccination to prevent bacterial colonization and invasive disease. We have previously demonstrated the effectiveness of interleukin-12 (IL-12) delivered intransally (i.n.) as an antiviral respiratory adjuvant. In this study, we examined the effects of i.n. IL-12 treatment on induction of protective humoral immunity against S. pneumoniae. Immunization i.n. with pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and IL-12 resulted in enhanced lung IL-10 mRNA expression and marked augmentation of respiratory and systemic immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2a, and IgA antibody levels compared to those in animals receiving PspA alone. In addition, i.n. vaccination with PspA and IL-12 provided increased protection against nasopharyngeal carriage. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a threefold increase in antibody-mediated, complement-independent opsonic activity in the sera of PspA- and IL-12-treated animals, which was mainly contributed by IgG2a and, to a lesser extent, IgA. Passive transfer of these immune sera conferred complete protection from death upon systemic pneumococcal challenge. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of combining PspA and IL-12 at mucosal sites to achieve optimal antibody-mediated opsonization and killing of S. pneumoniae.