Biodegradable Chitosan Decreases the Immune Response to Trichinella spiralis in Mice

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of chitosan units released during natural degradation of the polymer to activate the immune system against T. spiralis infection. High molecular weight chitosan was injected intraperitoneally into C57BL/6 mice. Flow cytometry and cytokine concentration, measured by ELISA, were used to characterize peritoneal cell populations during T. spiralis infection. The strong chemo-attractive properties of chitosan caused considerable infiltration into the peritoneal cavity of CD11b+ cells, with reduced expression of MHC class II, CD80, CD86, Dectin-1 or CD23 receptors in comparison to T. spiralis-infected mice. After prolonged chitosan biodegradation, cell populations expressing IL-4R, MR and Dectin-1 receptors were found to coexist with elevated IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β and IgA production. IgA cross-reacted with T. spiralis antigen and chitosan. It was found that chitosan treatment attracted immune cells with low activity, which resulted in the number of nematodes increasing. The glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues were recognized by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin and therefore any biodegradable chitosan units may actively downregulate the immune response to the parasite. The findings are relevant for both people and animals treated with chitosan preparations.

Polyglutamic acid-trimethyl chitosan-based intranasal peptide nano-vaccine induces potent immune responses against group A streptococcus

“…Interestingly, TMC delivered in simple mixture with antigen (J8P) triggered significantly weaker expression of maturation markers than TMC in the form of NPs (NP-1). Indeed, TMC in NP form was previously reported to induce higher expression of maturation markers compared to TMC/antigen mixture [48]; likewise, non-formulated chitosan was also found to be a poor or non-inducer of maturation markers [49].…”

Chitosan as a Wound Dressing Starting Material: Antimicrobial Properties and Mode of Action

“…Although there are published experimental data on how chitosan interacts with mammalian cells involved in wound healing processes, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding innate sensing of chitosan and the immunological response towards this polymer [145]; as polysaccharides are recognized by the cell receptors and depending on their size and structure, may induce immune responses [146]. The fact that chitin and chitosan are not present in mammalian cells makes them potentially recognizable targets for the innate immune system.…”

Primary characterization of the immune response in pigs infected with Trichinella spiralis

“…Humans become infected via consumption of inadequately cooked or raw meat (usually pork) containing infective T. spiralis larvae [5][6][7]. After ingestion, infective muscle larvae (ML) exhibit 4 molting events in the intestinal epithelium [8]. Then, the worms develop into adult worms (Ad) and released newborn larvae (NBL), and NBL finally penetrate into the muscle cells, where they grow, transforming the host cells into nurse cells, and develop into ML [5,9].…”