Electric pulses applied prior to intramuscular DNA vaccination greatly improve the vaccine immunogenicity

Electroporation can improve intramuscular DNA vaccination efficacy but the exact antigen presentation mechanism remains unclear. We reported here that a similar immuno-potentiation effect was also observed by stimulating the skeletal muscles with electric pulses (EP) a few days prior to DNA inoculation (EP + n days + DNA). The application of EP by itself activated proinflammatory chemokine genes and stress genes. It also triggered an influx of inflammatory monocytes/macrophages (MPs). After DNA inoculation, the plasmids were seen taken up by these inflammatory MPs, which migrated to the draining LNs subsequently. The antibody responses results were fast and strong. Furthermore, MPs isolated from the draining LNs of EP + n days + DNA treated mice were capable of stimulating Ag specific CD4+ T cell proliferation in vitro. Based on these observations, we proposed that the local inflammation resulted from EP treatment played an important role in facilitating antigen presentation of the DNA vaccines.