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Prophylactic potential of autoclaved Leishmania donovani with BCG against experimental visceral leishmaniasis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2003

J. K. SRIVASTAVA
Affiliation:
Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, PO Box 173, Lucknow-226001, India
A. MISRA
Affiliation:
Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, PO Box 173, Lucknow-226001, India
P. SHARMA
Affiliation:
Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, PO Box 173, Lucknow-226001, India
B. SRIVASTAVA
Affiliation:
Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, PO Box 173, Lucknow-226001, India
S. NAIK
Affiliation:
Department of Immunology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow-226014, India
A. DUBE
Affiliation:
Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, PO Box 173, Lucknow-226001, India
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Abstract

The prophylactic efficacy of autoclaved Leishmania donovani (ALD) and autoclaved L. major (ALM) – a heterologous vaccine developed against cutaneous leishmaniasis (used as a reference vaccine), along with BCG – was evaluated against L. donovani in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Animals were immunized with triple doses (21 days apart) of either ALD or ALM (1·0 mg) with or without BCG (0·1 mg) and challenged 21 days later with 1×106L. donovani amastigotes intracardially. Animals immunized with ALM+BCG and ALD+BCG yielded 94·3% and 86·1% parasite inhibition respectively in comparison to the BCG only and unvaccinated controls. Fifty and 33·3% of the vaccinated animals (ALM+BCG and ALD+BCG respectively) were completely devoid of parasites when tested on day 45 post-challenge (p.c.) and survived till the experiment was terminated. The mean survival of ALM+BCG and ALD+BCG groups (animals harbouring parasites) was longest (168 and 139 days respectively). No significant increase in anti-leishmanial antibody level (ELISA) was noticed in ALD+BCG and ALM+BCG groups whereas it increased progressively in the rest of the experimental groups. The lymphoproliferative responses to PHA and Con A, of the 2 vaccinated groups were comparable to that of normal controls on day 45 p.c. The study suggests that ALD along with BCG can offer substantial protection against visceral leishmaniasis in hamsters.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2003 Cambridge University Press
Figure 0

Table 1. Parasite burden in vaccinated hamsters on day 45 following challenge with live Leishmania donovani amastigotes

Figure 1

Fig. 1. Anti-leishmanial antibody profile in ALD/ALM vaccinated and unvaccinated control hamsters at pre-vaccination ([squf ]), pre-challenge (□) and pre-biopsy (). The values for the ALD vaccinated animals between pre-vaccination and pre-challenge and between pre-challenge and pre-biopsy are significant at P<0·01; values for the ALM vaccinated group between pre-vaccination and pre-challenge and between pre-challenge and pre-biopsy are significant at P<0·05 and P<0·01 respectively. Values for BCG vaccinated and control groups between pre-challenge and pre-biopsy are significant at P<0·01.

Figure 2

Fig. 2. Lymphoproliferative response to PHA ([squf ]) and Con A (□) each at a dose level of 10 μg/ml in vaccinated and unvaccinated control hamsters challenged with Leishmania donovani.

Figure 3

Fig. 3. Lymphoproliferative response to ALD ([squf ]) and ALM (□) each at a dose level of 10 μg/ml in vaccinated and unvaccinated control hamsters challenged with Leishmania donovani.