ROLE OF HOST HUMORAL IMMUNITTY ON THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ARTHROPODS

Abstract

The present investigation aims at investigating the role of induced host immunity on Culex pipiens mosquito, a medically-relevant arthropod vector transmitting• numerous disease pathogens. This was assessed by inducing antibody responses for selected arthropod components (immunogens) in rabbits. An evaluation was made of the effects induced host immunity on the biological/physiological activities of mosquitoes fed on immune hosts. The characterization was done for the identification of arthropod antigens (immunogens) recognized by vertebrate-specific antibodies. Postulation of the delineating immune response mechanisms that may contribute in the disturbance of transmission levels of vector-borne diseases. The following is a brief of our experimental attempts and their achieved results: I. Induction of Antibody Responses for Selected Arthropod

Components <Immunogensl in Rabbits:

A series of experiments were carried out in which three groups of laboratory animals: New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, were exposed to different immunizations using mosquito organs: Salivary glands (SG), ovary (Ov), and midgut (MG) extracts in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), pH 7.4, from ex. pipiens added to Ribi's adjuvant in a ratio of