Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Streptococcus equi subsp. equi is the causative agent of Strangles, which is one of the most costly and widespread infectious diseases, affecting the respiratory tract of Equidae. In this work, polyvinyl alcohol, alginate and chitosan were used in formulations of surface modified poly-epsilon-caprolactone microspheres which were evaluated after adsorption of S. equi enzymatic extract for physicochemical characteristics and in vivo immune responses in mice. After subcutaneous immunisation, the formulations induced higher lymphokines levels, in accordance with cellular and humoral immune responses, as compared to the free antigen, successfully activating the paths leading to Th1 and Th2 cells. The obtained results highlight the role of these microspheres as an adjuvant and their use to protect animals against strangles. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.. - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Portugal) ; FEDER [SFRH/BD/14300/2003, POCI/1310/59147/2004, PPCDT/BIO/59147/2004]. - Authors are grateful also to Dr. D. McCarthy and Dr. M. Zhlo, both from The London School of Pharmacy (UK) respectively for the SEM analysis and NMR experiments. We thank Prof. J.F. Timoney, University of Kentucky, Lexington (USA), and Dr. John Slater, University of Cambridge (UK) for their helpful advices. This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Portugal) and FEDER (SFRH/BD/14300/2003, POCI/1310/59147/2004 and PPCDT/BIO/59147/2004).
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Immunology Medicine, Research & Experimental
Contexto Educativo
Citação
VACCINE. - Vol. 26, n. 33 (AUG 5 2008), p. 4168-4177
Editora
ELSEVIER SCI LTD