Salbutamol as an adjuvant for nasal vaccination

Salbutamol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, which transiently increases cAMP lev els, was tested for its potential adjuvant activity in nasal vaccination. S AG1, the major surface protein of Toxoplasma gondii was used as vaccinating protein to protect CBA mice from a challenge with the parasite. Mice, vacc inated with SAG1 in the presence of salbutamol, showed a highly significant decrease in cerebral cysts, compared to non-vaccinated mice or mice receiv ing the vaccinating protein alone. Lymph node cells from BALB/c mice, recei ving in the footpads a dendritic cell line pulsed with the antigen in the p resence of salbutamol, showed a proliferative response in the presence of S AG1. The adjuvant properties of salbutamol are thus partially mediated by i ts effect on antigen presenting cells. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.