Salbutamol as an adjuvant for nasal vaccination.

Salbutamol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, which transiently increases cAMP levels, was tested for its potential adjuvant activity in nasal vaccination. SAG1, the major surface protein of Toxoplasma gondii was used as vaccinating protein to protect CBA mice from a challenge with the parasite. Mice, vaccinated with SAG1 in the presence of salbutamol, showed a highly significant decrease in cerebral cysts, compared to non-vaccinated mice or mice receiving the vaccinating protein alone. Lymph node cells from BALB/c mice, receiving in the footpads a dendritic cell line pulsed with the antigen in the presence of salbutamol, showed a proliferative response in the presence of SAG1. The adjuvant properties of salbutamol are thus partially mediated by its effect on antigen presenting cells.