%A Guan Weiwei, Gu Yu, Guan Xiaoyan, Wu Jiayuan, Bai Guohui, Tian Yuan, Liu Jianguo %T Transgenic tomato vaccine expressing chimeric protein PAcA/CTB can immunize rats through gastrointestinal absorption %0 Journal Article %D 2021 %J Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research %R 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.3089 %P 1712-1716 %V 25 %N 11 %U {https://www.cjter.com/CN/abstract/article_16370.shtml} %8 2021-04-18 %X BACKGROUND: The transgenic plant anti-caries vaccine has gradually demonstrated its unique advantages due to its simple production process, low price, good immunogenicity, safety and effectiveness, and has become a research focus in recent years.
OBJECTIVE: To immunize the Sprague-Dawley rats with transgenic tomatoes carrying chimeric protein of PAcA/CTB by gavage and to observe the immunogenicity and immunoreactivity in the rats.
METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a positive control group, an experimental group and a negative control group, in which the rats were given deactivated Streptococcus mutans, transgenic tomatoes carrying PAcA/CTB, and normal tomatoes by gavage, respectively, at 1 week after establishment of dental caries models in animals. The intragastric administration was done once a week for 4 continuous weeks. Blood and saliva samples of rats were collected before immunization and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after immunization to detect the levels of IgG and sIgA antibodies against Streptococcus mutans PAcA by ELISA. The upper and lower molars of the rats at the age of 57 days were scored for dental caries. The study protocol was approved by the Laboratory Animal Ethics Committee of Zunyi Medical University. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the negative control group, positive control and experimental groups had a significant increase in the levels of anti-PAcA sIgA in saliva at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after immunization (P < 0.01). Compared with the negative control group, the positive control group showed a significant increased level of anti-PAcA IgG in serum at 1-4 weeks after immunization (P < 0.05), while the experimental group had a significantly increased level of anti-PAcA IgG in serum at 2-4 weeks after immunization (P < 0.01). Tooth damage was minimized, only a few of caries reached the superficial dentin layer, and the number of caries was the least in the positive control group, followed by the experimental group and the negative control group in turn. To conclude, the transgenic tomatoes expressing PAcA/CTB has certain immunogenicity and immunoreactivity which can effectively immunize the rats by gavage and reduce the incidence of dental caries.