Aa. Qureshi et al., IMMUNOMODULATORY PROPERTIES OF MAXADILAN, THE VASODILATOR PEPTIDE FROM SAND FLY SALIVARY-GLAND EXTRACTS, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 54(6), 1996, pp. 665-671
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Tropical Medicine
Sand flies are the arthropod vector of leishmaniasis and salivary glan
d extracts from these flies exacerbate leishmaniasis in vivo. The mech
anism of exacerbation appears to be due to immunomodulatory effects of
the saliva on host immune function but the active component is unknow
n. The following studies reveal that maxadilan, the vasodilatory pepti
de present in sand fly salivary gland extracts, has immunomodulatory p
roperties. To examine the effect of maxadilan on T cell proliferation,
the peptide was added to murine spleen cells stimulated with either c
oncanavalin A or plate-bound anti-T cell receptor antibody. Inhibition
of proliferation was noted in a dose-dependent manner for both sets o
f experiments (P < 0.05). To examine the effect of maxadilan on alloan
tigen presentation, the peptide was added to mixed lymphocyte and mixe
d epidermal cell lymphocyte reactions. Inhibition of proliferation was
found in these culture systems. Maxadilan also inhibited the delayed-
type hypersensitivity reaction in mice (P < 0.05). These observations
suggest a role for maxadilan in the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis sinc
e the peptide may inhibit the immune response at the site of parasite
inoculation, allowing the infection to proceed.