Role of amphotericin B upon enhancement of protective immunity elicited by oral administration with liposome-encapsulated-Japanese encephalitis virus nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) in mice

Amphotericin B (AmB) is an antifungal antibiotic the activity of which has been associated with modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines expression in cultured cells. Herein we reveal that co-administration with AmB enhances the immunogenicity of oral Lip-JENS1 vaccine which derived from liposomes functionalized with DSPC (distearoylphosphatidylcholine) and cholesterol (2:1, molar ratio)-bearing JE virus NS1 protein (600 μg ml−1). Oral single dose of Lip-JENS1 elicited a detectable serum NS1-specific IgG antibody response from a mouse model. Remarkably, the addition of AmB (125 μg per mouse), particularly, 2 h prior to, but not simultaneously with, the administration of Lip-JENS1 significantly enhanced the systemic antigen-specific antibody response, providing superior protection against lethal JEV challenges. Further, we observed AmB-induced the transcription of cytokine expression and translocation of transcriptional factor NF-κB from the cytoplasm to the nucleus for the murine macrophage J774A.1. Moreover, Peyer’s-patch lymphocytes (PPL) from AmB-treated mice produced high levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α expression compared to the corresponding control of cells from non-treated mice. Taken together, the results suggest that AmB exerts a profound influence upon mucosal vaccination with Lip-JENS1, possibly playing an adjuvant-augmented role to “fine-tune” humoral as well as cellular immune response, thus conferring enhanced protective immunity for immunising individuals against JE infection.