Our previous study showed the efficacy of lactoferrin-monophosphoryl lipid A isolated from Hafnia alvei LPS complex (LF-MPL(H.a.)) as an adjuvant in stimulation of humoral and cellular immune response in mice to conventional antigens and a lower pyrogenicity of the complex as compared with MPL(H.a.) alone. In the present investigation we demonstrated that LF-MPL(H.a.) complex enhanced the immunity of BALB/c mice immunized with Plesiomonas shigelloides CNCTC 138/92 bacterial vaccine, against P. shigelloides infection. The adjuvant effect was evidenced by a significant increase of the antigen-specific serum IgG, IgG(2a), and IgG(1) and elevation of antigen-specific serum IgA concentrations. In addition, application of the adjuvant facilitated better clearance of the bacteria in spleens and livers of infected mice when compared with MPL(H.a.) alone. These features of the new adjuvant may predispose it for vaccination protocols in humans.
Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) is a detoxified derivative of LPS that induces tolerance to LPS and augments host resistance to bacterial infections. Previously, we demonstrated that LPS inhibits [Formula: see text] absorption in the medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) through a basolateral Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-ERK pathway. Here we examined whether pretreatment with MPLA would attenuate LPS inhibition. MTALs from rats were perfused in vitro with MPLA (1 µg/ml) in bath and lumen or bath alone for 2 h, and then LPS was added to (and MPLA removed from) the bath solution. Pretreatment with MPLA eliminated LPS-induced inhibition of [Formula: see text] absorption. In MTALs pretreated with MPLA plus a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) or Akt inhibitor, LPS decreased [Formula: see text] absorption. MPLA increased Akt phosphorylation in dissected MTALs. The Akt activation was eliminated by a PI3K inhibitor and in MTALs from TLR4−/−or Toll/IL-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFN-β (TRIF)−/−mice. The effect of MPLA to prevent LPS inhibition of [Formula: see text] absorption also was TRIF dependent. Pretreatment with MPLA prevented LPS-induced ERK activation; this effect was dependent on PI3K. MPLA alone had no effect on [Formula: see text] absorption, and MPLA pretreatment did not prevent ERK-mediated inhibition of [Formula: see text] absorption by aldosterone, consistent with MPLA's low toxicity profile. These results demonstrate that pretreatment with MPLA prevents the effect of LPS to inhibit [Formula: see text] absorption in the MTAL. This protective effect is mediated directly through MPLA stimulation of a TLR4-TRIF-PI3K-Akt pathway that prevents LPS-induced ERK activation. These studies identify detoxified TLR4-based immunomodulators as novel potential therapeutic agents to prevent or treat renal tubule dysfunction in response to bacterial infections.
Dexamethasone and Monophosphoryl Lipid A Induce a Distinctive Profile on Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells through Transcriptional Modulation of Genes Associated With Essential Processes of the Immune Response