Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1981 Feb;31(2):693–697. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.2.693-697.1981

Mitomycin C-treated Trypanosoma cruzi in vaccination of mice: induction of immunosuppression but not protection.

R L Tarleton, R E Kuhn, D S Cunningham
PMCID: PMC351365  PMID: 6783545

Abstract

Attempts to immunize susceptible hosts against infection with Trypanosoma cruzi have generally not met with a high degree of success. In the present study, we used the antimetabolite mitomycin C to produce nonreplicating, attenuated culture forms of T. cruzi. Attempts to immunize highly susceptible C3H(He) mice with single or multiple inoculi of mitomycin C-treated trypanosomes 2 weeks before injection of infective blood-form trypomastigotes did not, however, lead to greater longevity in immunized mice over nonimmunized, control mice. It was determined that a single injection of 10(7) attenuated parasites induced a transient suppression of the immune response to sheep erythrocytes which was maximum on day 7, less on day 14, and undetectable by the 21st day after immunization. This immunosuppression to a heterologous antigen did not, however, appear to be the cause of the failure of the vaccination procedure to elicit protective immunity since mice immunized once with 10(7) mitomycin C-treated trypanosomes and challenged 30, 60, or 90 days later exhibited no greater longevity than control mice.

Full text

PDF
693

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Albright J. F., Omer T. F., Deitchman J. W. Antigen competition: antigens compete for a cell occurring with limited frequency. Science. 1970 Jan 9;167(3915):196–198. doi: 10.1126/science.167.3915.196. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burgess D. E., Hanson W. L. Heterologous and specific immunization of mice against Trypanosoma cruzi. J Parasitol. 1980 Apr;66(2):340–342. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Click R. E., Benck L., Alter B. J. Immune responses in vitro. I. Culture conditions for antibody synthesis. Cell Immunol. 1972 Feb;3(2):264–276. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(72)90165-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clinton B. A., Ortiz-Ortiz L., Garcia W., Martinez T., Capin R. Trypanosoma cruzi: early immune responses in infected mice. Exp Parasitol. 1975 Jun;37(3):417–425. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(75)90012-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cunningham D. S., Kuhn R. E., Rowland E. C. Suppression of humoral responses during Trypanosoma cruzi infections in mice. Infect Immun. 1978 Oct;22(1):155–160. doi: 10.1128/iai.22.1.155-160.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cunningham D. S., Kuhn R. E. Trypanosoma cruzi-induced suppression of the primary immune response in murine cell cultures to T-cell-dependent and -independent antigens. J Parasitol. 1980 Feb;66(1):16–27. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jerne N. K., Henry C., Nordin A. A., Fuji H., Koros A. M., Lefkovits I. Plaque forming cells: methodology and theory. Transplant Rev. 1974;18:130–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1974.tb01588.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. KAGAN I. G., NORMAN L. Immunologic studies on Trypanosoma cruzi. III. Duration of acquired immunity in mice initially infected with a North American strain of T. cruzi. J Infect Dis. 1961 Mar-Apr;108:213–217. doi: 10.1093/infdis/108.2.213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kierszenbaum F., Budzko D. B. Immunization against experimental Chagas' disease by using culture forms of Trypanosoma cruzi killed with a solution of sodium perchlorate. Infect Immun. 1975 Sep;12(3):461–465. doi: 10.1128/iai.12.3.461-465.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Liacopoulos P., Ben-Efraim S. Antigenic competition. Prog Allergy. 1975;18:97–204. doi: 10.1159/000395257. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Marr J. S., Pike E. H. The protection of mice by "Corpus Christi" strain of Trypanosoma cruzi when challenged with "Brasil" strain. J Parasitol. 1967 Jun;53(3):657–659. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McHardy N., Elphick J. P. Immunization of mice against infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Cross-immunization between five strains of the parasite using freeze-thawed vaccines containing epimastigotes of up to five strains. Int J Parasitol. 1978 Feb;8(1):25–31. doi: 10.1016/0020-7519(78)90047-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mishell R. I., Dutton R. W. Immunization of dissociated spleen cell cultures from normal mice. J Exp Med. 1967 Sep 1;126(3):423–442. doi: 10.1084/jem.126.3.423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Powell M. R., Kuhn R. E. Measurement of cytolytic antibody in experimental Chagas' disease using a terminal radiolabelling procedure. J Parasitol. 1980 Jun;66(3):399–406. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Reed S. G., Larson C. L., Speer C. A. Suppression of cell-mediated immunity in experimental Chagas' disease. Z Parasitenkd. 1977 Jun 3;52(1):11–17. doi: 10.1007/BF00380553. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rowland E. C., Kuhn R. E. Suppression of cellular responses in mice during Trypanosoma cruzi infections. Infect Immun. 1978 May;20(2):393–397. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.2.393-397.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Seneca H., Peer P., Hampar B. Active immunization of mice with chagastoxin. Nature. 1966 Jan 15;209(5020):309–310. doi: 10.1038/209309b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Trischmann T., Tanowitz H., Wittner M., Bloom B. Trypanosoma cruzi: role of the immune response in the natural resistance of inbred strains of mice. Exp Parasitol. 1978 Aug;45(2):160–168. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(78)90055-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Waterston R. H. Antigen competition: a paradox. Science. 1970 Dec 4;170(3962):1108–1110. doi: 10.1126/science.170.3962.1108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Yanovsky J. F., Traversa O. C., Taratuto A. L., Schumnis G. A., González Cappa S. M., Parodi A. S. Trypanosoma cruzi: experimental immunization of mice. Exp Parasitol. 1969 Sep;26(1):73–85. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(69)90097-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES