Abstract
Melatonin (MLT) is now emerging as one of the universally accepted immunostimulators with broad applications in medicine. It is a biological manipulator of the immune system, including mucosal ones. MLT was encapsulated in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), then 100 mg/kg/dose of MLT-SLNs was used as an adjuvant of Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA). Experimental mice were intra-nasally inoculated with three doses of different regimens every two weeks, then challenged with 20 cysts of T. gondii Me49 strain, where they were sacrificed four weeks post-infection. Protective vaccine efficacy was evident via the significant brain cyst count reduction of 58.6%, together with remarkably high levels of humoral systemic and mucosal anti-Toxoplasma antibodies (Ig G, Ig A), supported by a reduced tachyzoites invasion of Vero cells in vitro upon incubation with sera obtained from these vaccinated mice. A cellular immune response was evident through the induction of significant levels of interferon-gamma (IFN γ), associated with morphological deteriorations of cysts harvested from the brains of vaccinated mice. Furthermore, the amelioration of infection-induced oxidative stress (OS) and histopathological changes were evident in mice immunized with TLA/MLT-SLNs. In conclusion, the present study highlighted the promising role of intranasal MLT-SLNs as a novel mucosal adjuvant candidate against chronic toxoplasmosis.