Inhibition on apoptosis of splenocytes in mice immunized with mixed rBCG-EmII/3 and rBCG-Em14-3-3 vaccine against Echinococcus multilocularis

AIM: To immunize mice with mixed rBCG-EmⅡ/3 and rBCG-Em14-3-3 vaccine against Echinococcus multilocularis(Em) and to investigate the apoptosis of spleen cells challenged with Em protoscoleces. METHODS: Balb/c mice were vaccinated subcutaneously and intranasally with mixed rBCG vaccines respectively. Eighteen weeks after challenged with Em protoscoleces the mice were killed to take the spleen. The spleen cells were isolated to measure apoptotic rate by flow cytometry. Blank vector, BCG and PBS served as controls. RESULTS: Apoptotic rate in the immunization group was lower than that in the PBS control group (P0.01). CONCLUSION: Apoptosis of spleen cells in mice may be induced by infection with alveolar hydatid cyst, but it can be inhibited by immunization with mixed rBCG-EmⅡ/3 and rBCG-Em14-3-3 vaccine.