Evaluation of immunization with purine salvation pathway recombinant enzymes in Schistosoma mansoni worms and eggs in murine schistosomiasis

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), on tropical and subtropical areas, schistosomiasis is the second parasitic disease of greater prevalence, in terms of morbidity and mortality, surpassed only by malaria. The Praziquantel (PZQ) is used for the treatment of this disease. However, reports of resistant strains reinforce the need to develop a new schistosomicidal drug. The infection by the parasite induces an inflammatory reaction of long duration due to the presence of adult worms living in the mesenteric venous system. The parasite lays eggs in small vessels of the submucosa of the intestines. These eggs are transported by the blood flow to the liver and they cause a granulomatous inflammatory reaction. A new approach can be held by the study of the following Schistosoma mansoni enzymes: purine nucleoside phosphorilase 1 (PNP), hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) and adenylate kinase (ADK). The parasite, incapable of synthetizing purine nucleotides through the de novo pathway, has multiple mechanisms to incorporate purine bases through the purine salvage pathway. In our results, we suggest that the immunization in Balb/c mice with the mentioned recombinant enzymes was capable of inducing a specific immune response, favoring the reduction of both the parasite load and number of eggs per gram of feces. The acquired data show that these enzymes can be considered as new targets to immunotherapy against schistosomiasis mansoni.CNPqFAPES

Efeitos da imunização com Adenosina Quinase (AK) e Hipoxantina-Guanina Fosforibosiltransferase (HGPRT) recombinantes de Schistosoma mansoni : controle da infecção murina

The mansoni schistosomiasis is the most important of human helminthiasis. Despite advances in its control this disease continues to spread to new geographical areas. It currently affects more than 250 million people. However, limited options are available for and Praziquantel is the drug of choice. Various authors have been searching new drugs and vaccines to control schistosomiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a prior immunization with recombinant enzymes of Schistosoma mansoni: Adenosine Kinase (AK) and Hypoxanthine-guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT), which are important for parasite purine metabolism, as well as a MIX of these enzymes, and subsequent challenge with cercariae of the parasite in the control of murine infection. Female Balb/c mice were divided into 5 groups. The groups were enzyme-immunized in three doses and 15 days after the last immunization, animals were infected with S. mansoni. After infection in the 47º day egg count were carried in mice faeces and in the 48º day mice were sacrificed for evaluation of leukocyte numbers (blood and peritoneal cavity), worm burden, antibodies production, cytokines quantification and histopathological analysis of the liver of these animals. Our results strongly suggest that, immunization with a MIX originated in these animals reduction in the number of eggs in faeces by 46% when compared with the animals of the infected group. Animals of the groups immunized with AK, HGPRT and/or MIX seem to induce a reduction in the number of eosinophils in the peritoneal cavity when compared to the animals of the infected group. Concerning worm burden, the animals of the MIX group presented greater reduction (31.27%) when compared to the animals of the infected group. The animals of the immunized groups, AK, HGPRT and/or MIX were capable of producing IgG1 antibodies and IgE anti the enzymes and anti the parasite proteins. The animals of the immunized group MIX showed a slight increase in IL-4 production and observed reduction of IL-10, and in the HGPRT group induced a slight increase on IFN-γ production when in compared with the infected group. In addition, the animals of the AK group showed a decrease in the number of hepatic granulomas in tissue (44,55%) and the eggs present in liver (42,31%). Therefore, it suggests that immunization with these enzymes can contributes to schistosomiasis control, as well as it might helps to modulate experimental infection inducing reduction of physiopathology of this parasitosis.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)A esquistossomose mansônica é a mais importante das helmintíases humanas. Apesar dos avanços no seu controle continua se espalhando para novas áreas geográficas. Atualmente afeta mais de 250 milhões de pessoas. Entretanto, opções limitadas estão disponíveis para o tratamento da doença e o único fármaco de escolha é o Praziquantel. Assim, vários estudos têm sido propostos para encontrar novos fármacos e vacinas para combater a esquistossomose. Dessa forma, o presente estudo teve como proposta avaliar os efeitos da imunização prévia com as enzimas recombinantes de Schistosoma mansoni Adenosina Quinase (AK) e Hipoxantina-Guanina Fosforibosiltransferase (HGPRT), que participam do metabolismo de purinas do parasito, bem como com o MIX das duas enzimas, e posterior desafio com cercárias do parasito, para o controle da infecção murina. Camundongos fêmea Balb/c foram divididos em 5 grupos. Os grupos imunizados receberam três doses das enzimas e após 15 dias da última imunização, os animais foram infectados com S. mansoni. Após a infecção, no 47° dia foi realizada a contagem de ovos nas fezes e no 48° dia foi realizada a eutanásia dos animais para avaliação de resposta leucocitária (sangue e lavado da cavidade peritoneal), carga parasitária, produção de anticorpos, quantificação de citocinas e análise histopatológica do fígado desses animais. Os resultados demonstraram que, a imunização com o MIX promoveu nesses animais redução do número de ovos nas fezes de 46% quando comparado com os animais do grupo somente infectado. Os animais dos grupos imunizados com AK, HGPRT e/ou MIX apresentaram diminuição na quantidade de eosinófilos na cavidade peritoneal quando comparados com os animais do grupo somente infectado. Em relação à carga parasitária, os animais do grupo imunizado com o MIX apresentaram maior redução (31,27%) quando comparados aos animais do grupo somente infectado. Os animais dos grupos imunizados com AK, HGPRT e/ou MIX foram capazes de produzir anticorpos IgG1 e IgE anti as enzimas e anti as proteínas do parasito. Os animais do grupo imunizado com o MIX apresentaram aumento discreto de IL-4 e foi observada redução de IL-10, e no grupo imunizado com HGPRT houve aumento discreto de IFN-γ, quando comparados com os animais do grupo somente infectado. Além disso, os animais do grupo imunizado com AK apresentaram redução do número de granulomas hepáticos (44,55%) e de ovos no fígado (42,31%), quando comparados com o grupo somente infectado. Assim, sugere-se que a imunização com essas enzimas pode contribuir para o controle da esquistossomose, bem como auxiliar na modulação da infecção experimental, induzindo redução da fisiopatologia desta parasitose

Effects of Immunization with Recombinant <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> Enzymes AK and HGPRT: Murine Infection Control

Schistosomiasis is one of the most important human helminthiases worldwide. Praziquantel is the current treatment, and no vaccine is available until the present. Thus, the presented study aimed to evaluate the immunization effects with recombinant Schistosoma mansoni enzymes: Adenosine Kinase (AK) and Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT), as well as a MIX of the two enzymes. Female Balb/c mice were immunized in three doses, and 15 days after the last immunization, animals were infected with S. mansoni. Our results showed that the group MIX presented a reduction in the eggs in feces by 30.74% and 29%, respectively, in the adult worms. The groups AK, HGPRT and MIX could produce IgG1 antibodies, and the groups AK and MIX produced IgE antibodies anti-enzymes and anti-S. mansoni total proteins. The groups AK, HGPRT and MIX induced a reduction in the eosinophils in the peritoneal cavity. Besides, the group AK showed a decrease in the number of hepatic granulomas (41.81%) and the eggs present in the liver (42.30%). Therefore, it suggests that immunization with these enzymes can contribute to schistosomiasis control, as well as help to modulate experimental infection inducing a reduction of physiopathology in the disease

HGPRT and PNP: Recombinant Enzymes from <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> and Their Role in Immunotherapy during Experimental Murine Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by trematode worms (also called blood flukes) of the genus Schistosoma sp., which affects over 230 million people worldwide, causing 200,000 deaths annually. There is no vaccine or new drugs available, which represents a worrying aspect, since there is loss of sensitivity of the parasite to the medication recommended by the World Health Organization, Praziquantel. The present study evaluated the effects of the recombinant enzymes of S. mansoni Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT), Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase (PNP) and the MIX of both enzymes in the immunotherapy of schistosomiasis in murine model. These enzymes are part of the purine salvage pathway, the only metabolic pathway present in the parasite for this purpose, being essential for the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Female mice of Swiss and BALB/c strains were infected with cercariae and treated, intraperitoneally, with three doses of 100 µg of enzymes. After the immunotherapy, the eggs and adult worms were counted in the feces; the number of eosinophils from the fluid in the peritoneal cavity and peripheral blood was observed; and the quantification of the cytokine IL-4 and the production of antibodies IgE was analyzed. The evaluation of the number of granulomas and collagen deposition via histological slides of the liver was performed. The results demonstrate that immunotherapy with the enzyme HGPRT seems to stimulate the production of IL-4 and promoted a significant reduction of granulomas in the liver in treated animals. The treatment with the enzyme PNP and the MIX was able to reduce the number of worms in the liver and in the mesenteric vessels of the intestine, to reduce the number of eggs in the feces and to negatively modulate the number of eosinophils. Therefore, immunotherapy with the recombinant enzymes of S. mansoni HGPRT and PNP might contribute to the control and reduction of the pathophysiological aspects of schistosomiasis, helping to decrease the morbidity associated with the infection in murine model