RESUMO
Previous studies have demonstrated that both tick saliva and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antigens modulate the cytokine response of the host. In this paper, the effect of salivary gland extract (SGE) from Ixodes ricinus (L., 1758) ticks on cytokine production by primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells stimulated with Borrelia afzelii Canica, Nato, du Merle, Mazie, Baranton et Postic, 1993 spirochetes was analysed. Epidermal cells were derived from C3H/HeN mice, susceptible to Lyme disease, and BALB/c mice, which are resistant. In cultures from C3H/HeN mice, SGE down regulated production of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and up regulated Th2 cytokine, interleukin 4 (IL-4). Cultures from BALB/c mice produced higher basal levels of monitored cytokines, but their production was affected by SGE a different way. While Th2 cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 were down regulated, the effect on TNF-alpha and IL-4 was ambiguous. These results indicate that the effect of tick saliva on the epidermal cells of Lyme disease-susceptible C3H/HeN mice mirrors its effect on other cells of the immune system.
Assuntos
Grupo Borrelia Burgdorferi/imunologia , Citocinas/biossíntese , Epiderme/imunologia , Ixodes/imunologia , Glândulas Salivares/imunologia , Animais , Citocinas/imunologia , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Epiderme/efeitos dos fármacos , Feminino , Cobaias , Interleucinas/biossíntese , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Endogâmicos C3H , Glândulas Salivares/química , Organismos Livres de Patógenos Específicos , Extratos de Tecidos/imunologia , Extratos de Tecidos/farmacologia , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/biossínteseRESUMO
Saliva-activated transmission of Borrelia afzelii Canica, Nato, du Merle, Mazie, Baranton et Postic, 1993 was demonstrated using salivary gland extract (SGE) from Ixodes ricinus (L., 1758) ticks and C3H mice. Injection of Borrelia spirochaetes together with SGE increased the level of bacteraemia and accelerated the appearance of bacteria in the urinary bladder, compared with the injection of spirochaetes alone. More I. ricinus nymphs became infected when feeding on mice inoculated with B. afzelii plus SGE. Analysis of cytokines produced by cells of draining lymph nodes from SGE-treated mice showed a suppression of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-6 and GM-CSF following a transient upregulation in comparison with the control mice infected without SGE.
