Evaluation of alum-naltrexone adjuvant activity, on efficacy of anti-leishmania immunization with autoclaved leishmania major [MRHO/IR/75/ER] antigens in BALB/C mice

Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist shifts the immune response toward a Th1 profile. In the current study, we evaluated the efficacy of the mixture of NTX and alum, as a new adjuvant, to enhance immune response and induce protection against Leishmania major in a mouse model. BALB/c mice were immunized three times either autoclaved L. major promastigotes' antigens alone or in combination with the adjuvant alum, naltrexone or the alum-naltrexone mixture. Both humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed two weeks after the last immunization and compared with control mice. The administration of alum- NTX in combination with the parasite antigen, significantly increased production of IFN- gamma, IFN-gamma /IL-5 ratio, lymphocyte proliferation and improved DTH response against L. major. There was no significant difference in survival following challenge among groups. Immunization with the alum- naltrexone mixture as an adjuvant, in combination with the autoclaved L. major promastigotes antigens, can enhance cellular immunity and shift the immune responses to a Th1 pattern

Identification of echinococcus granulosus strains in isolated hydatid cyst specimens from animals by PCR-RFLP method in west Azerbaijan - Iran

The aim of this study was DNA extraction from protosco-lecses of Echinococcus granulosus and identification of these strains in West-Azerbaijan Province, north western Iran. Thirty one livestock isolates from sheep and cattle were collected from abattoirs of the province. To investigate the genetic variation of the isolates, after DNA extraction by Glass beads-phenol chloroform method; PCR-RLFP analysis of rDNA-ITS1 was performed using three different restriction enzymes of Taq 1, Rsa 1 and Alu 1. Amplified PCR products for all isolates were 1000bp band which is expected band in sheep strains [G1-G3 complex]. The results of RFLP analysis also were the same for all isolates. PCR-RFLP patterns restriction en-zymes were identical as follows, Rsa1 bands under UV showed two bands approximately 655bp and 345bp. Alu1 bands were as follows: two approximately 800bp and 200bp and Taq1 did not cut any region and bands were approximately 1000 bp in all samples. Based on PCR-RFLP patterns of ITS1 fragment produced with endonucleases enzyme digestion in animal isolates, it can be concluded that a single strain of E. granulosus [sheep strain or G1-G3 complex] is dominant genotype in this province