Immunogenicity of individual vaccine components in a bivalent nicotine vaccine differ according to vaccine formulation and administration conditions.

Structurally distinct nicotine immunogens can elicit independent antibody responses against nicotine when administered concurrently. Co-administering different nicotine immunogens together as a multivalent vaccine could be a useful way to generate higher antibody levels than with monovalent vaccines alone. The immunogenicity and additivity of monovalent and bivalent nicotine vaccines was studied across a range of immunogen doses, adjuvants, and routes to assess the generality of this approach. Rats were vaccinated with total immunogen doses of 12.5-100 µg of 3'-aminomethyl nicotine conjugated to recombinant Pseudomonas exoprotein A (3'-AmNic-rEPA), 6-carboxymethylureido nicotine conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (6-CMUNic-KLH), or both. Vaccines were administered s.c. in alum or i.p. in Freund's adjuvant at matched total immunogen doses. When administered s.c. in alum, the contributions of the individual immunogens to total nicotine-specific antibody (NicAb) titers and concentrations were preserved across a range of doses. Antibody affinity for nicotine varied greatly among individuals but was similar for monovalent and bivalent vaccines. However when administered i.p. in Freund's adjuvant the contributions of the individual immunogens to total NicAb titers and concentrations were compromised at some doses. These results support the possibility of co-administering structurally distinct nicotine immunogens to achieve a more robust immune response than can be obtained with monovalent immunogens alone. Choice of adjuvant was important for the preservation of immunogen component activity.

Increased efficacy of a trivalent nicotine vaccine compared to a dose-matched monovalent vaccine when formulated with alum.

Vaccination against nicotine is a potential treatment for tobacco smoking. Clinical trials show effect only in high antibody responders; therefore it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of nicotine vaccines. The use of a multivalent vaccine that activates several B cell populations is a possible approach to increase antibody response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether three different nicotine immunogens could be mixed to generate independent responses resulting in additive antibody titers, and whether this would alter nicotine distribution to a greater extent than antibodies generated by a monovalent vaccine. When immunogens were administered s.c. with alum adjuvant, the trivalent vaccine generated significantly higher titers and prevented the distribution of an i.v. nicotine dose to brain to a greater extent than an equivalent dose of a monovalent vaccine. The number of rats with antibody titers >1:10,000 was significantly increased in the trivalent group compared to the monovalent group. There were no correlations between the titers generated by the different nicotine immunogens in the trivalent vaccine, supporting the hypothesis that the immunogens generated independent responses from distinct populations of B cells. In contrast, when administered i.p. in Freund's adjuvant, the trivalent nicotine vaccine was not more immunogenic than its component monovalent vaccine. Vaccine immunogenicity was suppressed if unconjugated protein was added to the monovalent vaccine formulated in Freund's adjuvant, compared to monovalent vaccine alone. These data suggest a protein-protein interaction that affects titers negatively and is apparent when the vaccines are formulated with Freund's adjuvant. In summary, a trivalent nicotine vaccine formulated with alum showed significantly higher efficacy than a dose-matched monovalent vaccine and may offer a strategy for increasing nicotine vaccine immunogenicity. This approach may be generalizable to other nicotine immunogens or vaccines for other addictive drugs.

Nicotine hapten structure, antibody selectivity and effect relationships: results from a nicotine vaccine screening procedure.

The aim of the present study was to synthesise and screen a set of novel nicotine hapten immunogens used for the treatment of nicotine dependence. In the screening process we studied the amount of antibodies generated and their selectivity, using ELISA techniques, and their effects on nicotine-induced dopamine release in the NAC(shell) of the rat, assessed by in vivo voltammetry. We conclude that even small changes such as the linker attachment on the nicotine molecule as well as the structure of the linker may greatly influence the selectivity of the antibodies and the central neurobiological effects of nicotine that are considered critical for its dependence producing properties.

Active immunisation against nicotine blocks the reward facilitating effects of nicotine and partially prevents nicotine withdrawal in the rat as measured by dopamine output in the nucleus accumbens, brain reward thresholds and somatic signs.

We recently showed that active immunisation with the nicotine immunoconjugate IP18-KLH reduces the nicotine-induced increase in dopamine (DA) output in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and prevents reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behaviour in rats. These effects are mediated by altered distribution of nicotine, resulting in reduced amounts of nicotine reaching the brain, thereby interfering with the rewarding properties of the drug. The present study was designed to explore the effect of immunisation against nicotine on mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal as assessed by the reduction in DA output in the NAC in rats. Measuring brain reward thresholds and somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal, the effects of immunisation were also tested during chronic nicotine treatment and after its withdrawal. Finally, we examined the effect of immunisation on challenge injections of nicotine on brain reward thresholds after the increases in somatic signs and reward thresholds associated with nicotine withdrawal had dissipated. The results show that immunisation with IP18-KLH prevented the decrease in DA output in the NAC associated with mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal. Moreover, immunisation against nicotine did not precipitate a withdrawal syndrome, as measured by brain reward thresholds and somatic signs, in rats chronically exposed to nicotine. Furthermore, the withdrawal syndrome elicited after cessation of chronic nicotine administration was attenuated in immunised rats compared to that of mock-immunised rats. Finally, the lowering in reward thresholds after nicotine challenge injections was attenuated in both naïve and previously nicotine-exposed immunised rats. In conclusion, the present results show that immunisation with IP18-KLH did not precipitate nicotine withdrawal in rats. Thus, immunisation with IP18-KLH may not elicit nicotine withdrawal in smokers either. Furthermore, since the withdrawal syndrome in rats was attenuated by immunisation, the nicotine withdrawal in smokers should not be worsened but may even be ameliorated during a quit attempt.

Active immunization against nicotine alters the distribution of nicotine but not the metabolism to cotinine in the rat.

We have previously shown that active immunization with the nicotine immunoconjugate IP18-KLH attenuates the reinforcing effects of nicotine, i.e., suppresses the nicotine-induced brain dopamine release and prevents reinstatement of the nicotine-seeking behavior in rats. These effects are thought to be due to an alteration of the kinetics of nicotine distribution by the antibodies, resulting in an attenuated nicotine distribution to the brain. In this study, the distribution of nicotine administered at doses corresponding to those used in our previous studies, was investigated in immunized rats and controls. Male Wistar rats received two immunizations with IP18-KLH in Freund's incomplete adjuvant, 21 days apart, and experiments were performed 7-11 days post-immunization under chloral hydrate anesthesia. Blood samples were collected to determine antibody titer and nicotine selectivity using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The animals received an intravenous nicotine dose and were sacrificed either 3 min or 60 min after nicotine administration. Trunk blood was collected and the brains were removed for analysis of nicotine content. The results showed that immunization against nicotine increases the nicotine concentration in blood and significantly decreases the amount of nicotine that reaches the brain. The present findings thus demonstrate an altered distribution of nicotine after immunization with IP18-KLH. Despite the sustained nicotine binding by the antibodies, the active immunization did not alter the metabolism of nicotine to cotinine, the major nicotine metabolite. In conclusion, the attenuation of the reinforcing effect of nicotine after immunization with IP18-KLH, shown previously, is indeed associated with an altered distribution of nicotine.