Oral administered particulate yeast-derived glucan promotes hepatitis B virus clearance in a hydrodynamic injection mouse model

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 9;10(4):e0123559. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123559. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistent infection is associated with ineffective immune response for the clearance of virus. Immunomodulators represent an important class of therapeutics, which potentially could be beneficial for the treatment of HBV infection. The particulate yeast-derived glucan (PYDG) has been shown to enhance the innate and adaptive immune responses. We therefore, assessed the efficacy of PYDG in enhancing HBV specific immune responses by employing the hydrodynamic injection-based (HDI) HBV transfection mouse model. Mice were intragatric administered PYDG daily for 9 weeks post pAAV/HBV1.2 hydrodynamic injection. PYDG treatment significantly promoted HBV DNA clearance and production of HBsAb compared to control mice. PYDG treatment resulted in recruitment of macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs) and effector T cells to the liver microenvironment, accompanied by a significantly augmented DCs maturation and HBV-specific IFN-γ and TNF-α production by T cell. In addition, enhanced production of Th1 cytokines in liver tissue interstitial fluid (TIF) was associated with PYDG administration. Live imaging showed the accumulation of PYDG in the mouse liver. Our results demonstrate that PYDG treatment significantly enhances HBV-specific Th1 immune responses, accompanied by clearance of HBV DNA, and therefore holds promise for further development of therapeutics against chronic hepatitis B.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptive Immunity / drug effects
  • Adaptive Immunity / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Glucans / administration & dosage*
  • Glucans / chemistry
  • Glucans / immunology
  • Hepatitis B virus / drug effects*
  • Hepatitis B virus / immunology
  • Hepatitis B virus / pathogenicity
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / immunology
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic / virology
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / administration & dosage*
  • Immunologic Factors / chemistry
  • Injections
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / immunology
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / immunology
  • Mice
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / chemistry
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • Virus Replication / drug effects
  • Virus Replication / immunology

Substances

  • Glucans
  • Immunologic Factors

Grants and funding

This study was supported by National Program on Key Basic Research Project of China (2012CB519005) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (81101242).