RESUMO
DNA vaccination has been studied intensively as a potential vaccine technology. We evaluated the effect of an attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis-mediated inhibin DNA vaccine in rats. First, 15 rats were treated with different doses of an inhibin vaccine to evaluate vaccine safety. Next, 30 rats were divided into 3 groups and injected intramuscularly with the inhibin vaccine two (T1) or three times (T2) or with control bacteria (Con) at 4-week intervals. The inhibin antibody levels increased [positive/negative well (P/N) value: T1 vs Con = 2.39 ± 0.01 vs 1.08 ± 0.1; T2 vs Con = 2.36 ± 0.1 vs 1.08 ± 0.1, P < 0.05] at week 2 and were maintained at a high level in T1 and T2 until week 8, although a small decrease in T2 was observed at week 10. Rats in the T1 group showed more corpora lutea compared with the Con group (10.50 ± 0.87 vs 7.4 ± 0.51, P < 0.05). Estradiol (0.439 ± 0.052 vs 0.719 ± 0.063 ng/mL, P < 0.05) and progesterone (1.315 ± 0.2 vs 0.737 ± 0.11 ng/mL, P < 0.05) levels differed significantly at metestrus after week 10 between rats in the T1 and Con groups. However, there were no significant differences in body, ovary, uterus weights, or pathological signs in the ovaries after immunization, indicating that this vaccine is safe. In conclusion, the attenuated S. choleraesuis-mediated inhibin vaccine may be an alternative to naked inhibin plasmids for stimulating ovarian follicular development to increase the ovulation rate in rats.
Assuntos
Inibinas/genética , Inibinas/imunologia , Salmonella/genética , Vacinas Atenuadas/imunologia , Vacinas de DNA/imunologia , Animais , Anticorpos/sangue , Anticorpos/imunologia , Estradiol/sangue , Feminino , Imunização , Folículo Ovariano/imunologia , Folículo Ovariano/patologia , Ovulação , Progesterona/sangue , Ratos , Vacinas Atenuadas/administração & dosagem , Vacinas Atenuadas/efeitos adversos , Vacinas de DNA/administração & dosagem , Vacinas de DNA/efeitos adversosRESUMO
Activins and inhibins are members of the transforming growth factor-ß superfamily that have been considered crucial regulators of cell processes, such as differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis, in different cell types. Initial studies about the function of activin A in the immune system focused on the regulation of hematopoiesis in the bone marrow under homeostatic and inflammatory conditions. Recent data provide a more comprehensive understanding about the role of activins/inhibins in the immune system. Novel findings included in this review point out the important requirement of activin/inhibin signaling to maintain the balance between homeostatic and inflammatory signals that are required for the optimal development and function of immune cells. The purpose of this review is to highlight the versatile nature of activins/inhibins as key regulators of both the innate and adaptive immune responses.