EFFECT OF MICROENCAPSULATION ON IMMUNOGENICITY OF A BOVINE HERPES-VIRUS GLYCOPROTEIN AND INACTIVATED INFLUENZA-VIRUS IN MICE

We previously found that aqueous-based spermine-alginate or spermine-c hondroitin sulfate microcapsules enhanced rotavirus-specific humoral i mmune responses after intramuscular inoculation of mice. To extend our observations with whole, infectious rotavirus to vaccine strategies w hich include inactivated virus and purified proteins, we determined th e capacity of aqueous-based microcapsules to enhance virus-specific im mune responses to bovine herpes virus type 1 glycoprotein D (BHV-1-gD) or ether-treated influenza virus. We found that spermine-alginate mic rocapsules decreased the quantity of BHV-1-gD necessary to induce prot ein-specific antibodies about 5000-fold. However, spermine-alginate mi crocapsules did not enhance influenza virus-specific antibody response s. Microcapsules composed of spermine-chondroitin sulfate did not enha nce either BHV-1-gD or influenza virus-specific immune responses. Poss ible mechanisms of enhancement of virus-specific antibody responses by microencapsulation are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.