Differential modulation of murine host immune response by salivary gland extracts from the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus

• Published in: Medical and veterinary entomology 2004-06, Vol.18 (2), p.191-199
• Main Authors: Wanasen, N, Nussenzveig, R.H, Champagne, D.E, Soong, L, Higgs, S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aedes - chemistry; Aedes - immunology; Aedes - metabolism; Aedes aegypti; animal tissue extracts; Animals; B-Lymphocytes - cytology; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; cell death; Cell Death - immunology; cell division; Cell Division - immunology; cell proliferation; Culex - chemistry; Culex - immunology; Culex - metabolism; Culex quinquefasciatus; Culicidae; cytokines; Cytokines - immunology; Cytokines - metabolism; Female; Flow Cytometry; Freshwater; host immunomodulation; host-parasite relationships; immune evasion; immune response; immunomodulation; immunosuppression (physiological); insect vectors; interferons; interleukin-10; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; lymphocyte proliferation; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; mosquito saliva; mouse; Ovalbumin - immunology; saliva; salivary glands; Salivary Glands - chemistry; Salivary Glands - immunology; Salivary Glands - metabolism; Salivary Proteins and Peptides - immunology; Salivary Proteins and Peptides - pharmacology; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - immunology; splenocytes; T cell populations; T-lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Th cytokines; Th1 response; Th2 response; Tissue Extracts - immunology; Tissue Extracts - pharmacology; vector-host-pathogen relationships; vertebrate immune response
• ISSN: 0269-283X; 1365-2915
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2004.00498.x

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are major vectors of numerous infectious agents. Compounds in mosquito saliva not only facilitate blood-feeding, but may also have an impact upon the immune system of vertebrate hosts. Consequently, the exposure to mosquito saliva may influence pathogen transmission, establishment and disease development. Using two medically important vector mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, we examined the effects of mosquito saliva on immune cells of host mice. After antigen-specific or non-specific stimulation, murine splenocyte proliferation and production of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines were significantly reduced in the presence of salivary gland extract (SGE) from Ae. aegypti, but not SGE from Cx. quinquefasciatus. T cell populations were highly susceptible to this suppression, showing increased mortality and reduced division rates ¡ judged by flow cytometric analyses. Evidently these two culicine mosquitoes differ in their host immunomodulatory activities.