Effects of Aedes aegypti salivary components on the biology of macrophages and potential therapeutic applications.

Macrophages are phagocytic cells derived from blood monocytes produced by the bone marrow and are directly engaged in a set of vital biological processes. During blood feeding, Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes inoculate saliva into the skin of their vertebrate hosts and, due to its strategic location in the tissues, macrophages are possibly among the first resident cells to be exposed to saliva. Despite this physiological evidence, little is known about the immunomodulatory effects of this mosquitos saliva on macrophages. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of A. aegypti salivary components in LPS/IFN-γ-activated murine macrophages and the potential effect of a salivary protein on the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an experimental model for multiple sclerosis studies. In conclusion, A. aegypti SGE presents immunomodulatory effect on peritoneal macrophages activated by LPS/IFN-γ. Furthermore, our results suggest that the protein identified as a putative inhibitor of IL-6 produced by activated macrophages may be able to down modulate the polarization of Th1 and Th17 responses, thus affecting the development of EAE. (AU)