Strong mucosal adjuvanticity of cholera toxin within lipid particles of a new multiple emulsion delivery system for oral immunization

Cholera toxin (CT) is an effective mucosal adjuvant but causes significant intestinal secretion which limits its usefulness. In the present study we developed a new multiple emulsion (ME) delivery system into which antigen and CT could be incorporated and asked whether CT would retain its mucosal adjuvanticity when sequestered within emulsion particles. ME were selectively taken up into Peyer's patches, and those containing antigen plus CT generated intestinal secretory IgA and serum IgG antibody responses in mice comparable quantitatively and qualitatively to those occurring after oral immunization with soluble antigen plus CT. The ME particles containing CT did not cause intestinal secretion. The adjuvanticity of CT within ME was due to the CT present in the inner aqueous phase of the ME and was lost if CT binding was blocked by pre-incubation with GM1 ganglioside. Proteins incorporated in ME were protected from external acid, protease, and bile. We conclude that CT sequestered in ME, although unable to bind to the epithelium and thus stimulate intestinal secretion, still retains its mucosal adjuvanticity. Thus, the ability of CT to bind to enterocytes is not obligatory for its mucosal adjuvanticity.