Teixeira Clarissa R, Cavassani Karen A, Gomes Regis B, Teixeira Maria Jania, Roque-Barreira Maria-Cristina, Cavada Benildo S, da Silva João Santana, Barral Aldina, Barral-Netto Manoel
Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz-Fiocruz and Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, Salvador, BA 40295-001, Brazil.
Vaccine. 2006 Apr 5;24(15):3001-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.11.067. Epub 2006 Jan 18.
In the present study we evaluated Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr), Pisum arvense (PAA) and Artocarpus integrifolia (KM+) lectins as immunostimulatory molecules in vaccination against Leishmania amazonensis infection. Although they induced IFN-gamma production, the combination of the lectins with SLA antigen did not lead to lesion reduction. However, parasite load was largely reduced in mice immunized with KM+ lectin and SLA. KM+ induced a smaller inflammatory reaction in the air pouch model and was able to inhibit differentiation of dendritic cells (BMDC), but to induce maturation by enhancing the expression of MHC II, CD80 and CD86. These observations indicate the modulatory role of plant lectins in leishmaniasis vaccination may be related to their action on the initial innate response.
