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Intranasal Immunization and Milk Collection in Studies of Maternal Immunization in New Zealand White Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Published on: July 31, 2021
rEnolase maternal immunization confers caries protection on offspring
1Laboratory of Immunology, ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar 2, 4099-003 Porto, Portugal.
Abstract:
Therapeutic vaccination with Streptococcus sobrinus recombinant enolase (rEnolase) protects rats from dental caries. Here, we investigated the effect that maternal rEnolase vaccination before pregnancy had on the offspring's immune response to S. sobrinus oral infection and dental caries progression. Female Wistar rats were immunized by intranasal and subcutaneous routes with rEnolase adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant or similarly treated with the adjuvant alone (sham-immunized). Ten days after the last administration, the immunized females were paired with a male rat. The oral immune responses to S. sobrinus infection and dental caries in the offspring were evaluated. The results showed that pups born from rEnolase-immunized mothers had higher levels of rEnolase-specific salivary IgA and IgG antibodies (indicating a placental antibody transfer) and lower sulcal and proximal enamel caries scores than rats born from sham-immunized mothers. In conclusion, rEnolase maternal immunization before pregnancy provides offspring with protection against S. sobrinus-induced dental caries.
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