Oral administration of interferon-α2b-transformed Bifidobacterium longum protects BALB/c mice against coxsackievirus B3-induced myocarditis

Virol J. 2011 Dec 8:8:525. doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-8-525.

Abstract

Multiple reports have claimed that low-dose orally administered interferon (IFN)-α is beneficial in the treatment of many infectious diseases and provides a viable alternative to high-dose intramuscular treatment. However, research is needed on how to express IFN stably in the gut. Bifidobacterium may be a suitable carrier for human gene expression and secretion in the intestinal tract for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. We reported previously that Bifidobacterium longum can be used as a novel oral delivery of IFN-α. IFN-transformed B. longum can exert an immunostimulatory role in mice; however the answer to whether this recombinant B. longum can be used to treat virus infection still remains elusive. Here, we investigated the efficacy of IFN-transformed B. longum administered orally on coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis in BALB/c mice. Our data indicated that oral administration of IFN-transformed B. longum for 2 weeks after virus infection reduced significantly the severity of virus-induced myocarditis, markedly down regulated virus titers in the heart, and induced a T helper 1 cell pattern in the spleen and heart compared with controls. Oral administration of the IFN-transformed B. longum, therefore, may play a potential role in the treatment of CVB3-induced myocarditis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bifidobacterium / genetics
  • Bifidobacterium / immunology*
  • Coxsackievirus Infections / immunology
  • Coxsackievirus Infections / prevention & control*
  • Coxsackievirus Infections / virology
  • Enterovirus / drug effects*
  • Enterovirus / immunology
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • Humans
  • Interferon-alpha / genetics
  • Interferon-alpha / immunology*
  • Interferon-alpha / metabolism
  • Intestines / immunology
  • Intestines / microbiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Myocarditis / immunology
  • Myocarditis / prevention & control*
  • Myocarditis / virology
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / microbiology

Substances

  • Interferon-alpha
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • peginterferon alfa-2a