05). IgG2a isotype kinetics also showed

higher IgG2a levels for the NLA + ArtinM group from 15 to 45 d.a.i. when compared to the other groups, with similar IgG2a levels between NLA + JAC and NLA groups at 30 and 45 d.a.i. ( Fig. 1C). All control groups showed IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a levels below the cut off. N. caninum immunostaining showed a brighter linear peripheral click here fluorescence of parasite surfaces when probed with sera from mice immunized with NLA + ArtinM in relation to NLA + JAC and NLA groups ( Fig. 2). The control group (PBS) showed no staining of tachyzoites. Serological results determined at 60 days after immunization before challenge (BC) and 30 days after challenge (AC) with 2 × 107 tachyzoites of Nc-1 isolate. N. caninum-specific IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes were compared before challenge (60 d.a.i.) and 30 days after challenge (90 d.a.i.) with virulent parasite in all experimental groups, including the assay of seroconversion for the control groups ( Fig. 3A). Levels of IgG1 were higher than IgG2a in all antigen-immunized groups regardless of the lectin adjuvant in both conditions, before and

after parasite challenge, while a seroconversion with predominant IgG2a response was observed after parasite challenge only in the lectin-immunized groups, but with significant difference for ArtinM lectin alone (P < 0.05). PBS group showed seroconversion with no significant difference between IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes after challenge ( Fig. 3A). It was also observed an increase selleck inhibitor of the IgG2a/IgG1 ratio after challenge in all groups immunized with antigen and/or lectin, although with significant increase only in the NLA + ArtinM and ArtinM groups (P < 0.05) ( Fig. 3B). Ex vivo during cytokine production was assessed in spleen cell cultures at 45 d.a.i. and supernatants of these cells were collected after 48 h of stimulation with medium, ConA or NLA (Fig. 4A and B). After antigen stimulation, IFN-γ levels were higher in the NLA + ArtinM

group in relation to all others (P < 0.05) ( Fig. 4A). ConA stimulation induced increased levels of IFN-γ in all groups in relation to baseline (medium), particularly when mice were immunized with NLA alone ( Fig. 4A). Increased levels of IL-10 were detected in both NLA + ArtinM and NLA groups as compared with other groups after antigen stimulation (P < 0.05), whereas NLA + JAC group showed higher IL-10 levels in relation to the controls only (P < 0.05) ( Fig. 4B). In all groups, mitogenic stimulation induced increased IL-10 levels compared to baseline, but with lower levels in relation to antigenic stimulation, mainly in antigen-immunized groups. As shown in Fig. 4C, mice immunized with NLA + ArtinM showed the highest IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio followed by the ArtinM group (P < 0.05), whereas the NLA + JAC and NLA groups exhibited the lowest IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio (P < 0.05).