α-Galactosylceramide-activated Vα14 natural killer T cells mediate protection against murine malaria

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.97.15.8461
• Publication Date: 2002-07-26T14:35:07Z
• Authors: Gloria Gonzalez-A...; Camila de Oliveira; Margaret Tomaska; Seokmann Hong; Oscar Bruna-Romero; Toshinori Nakayama; Masaru Taniguchi; Albert Bendelac; Luc Van Kaer; Yasuhiko Koezuka; Moriya Tsuji
• Keywords: Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium yoelii; CD1D

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique population of lymphocytes that coexpress semiinvariant cell and natural receptors, which particularly abundant in the liver. To investigate possible effect these on development liver stages malaria parasites, glycolipid, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), known to selectively activate Vα14 NKT context CD1d molecules, was administered sporozoite-inoculated mice. The administration α-GalCer resulted rapid, strong antimalaria activity, inhibiting intrahepatocytic rodent parasites Plasmodium yoelii berghei . activity mediated by is stage-specific, since course blood-stage-induced infection not inhibited this glycolipid. Furthermore, it determined IFN-γ essential for Taken together, our results provide clear evidence can mediate protection against an intracellular microbial infection.