A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>
The increasing number of microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics is prompting the development of new antimicrobial compounds and strategies to fight bacterial infections. The use of insects to screen and test new drugs is increasingly considered a promising tool to accelerate the discovery...
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/8/748 |
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| author | Aurora Montali Francesca Berini Alessio Saviane Silvia Cappellozza Flavia Marinelli Gianluca Tettamanti |
| author_facet | Aurora Montali Francesca Berini Alessio Saviane Silvia Cappellozza Flavia Marinelli Gianluca Tettamanti |
| author_sort | Aurora Montali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing number of microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics is prompting the development of new antimicrobial compounds and strategies to fight bacterial infections. The use of insects to screen and test new drugs is increasingly considered a promising tool to accelerate the discovery phase and limit the use of mammalians. In this study, we used for the first time the silkworm, <i>Bombyx mori</i>, as an in vivo infection model to test the efficacy of three glycopeptide antibiotics (GPAs), against the nosocomial pathogen <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>. To reproduce the human physiological temperature, the bacterial infection was performed at 37 °C and it was monitored over time by evaluating the survival rate of the larvae, as well the response of immunological markers (i.e., activity of hemocytes, activation of the prophenoloxidase system, and lysozyme activity). All the three GPAs tested (vancomycin, teicoplanin, and dalbavancin) were effective in curing infected larvae, significantly reducing their mortality and blocking the activation of the immune system. These results corroborate the use of this silkworm infection model for the in vivo studies of antimicrobial molecules active against staphylococci. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:12:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01983ea83ba34c1a82f63c7f297c5384 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:12:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-01983ea83ba34c1a82f63c7f297c53842023-11-30T21:39:36ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-08-0113874810.3390/insects13080748A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>Aurora Montali0Francesca Berini1Alessio Saviane2Silvia Cappellozza3Flavia Marinelli4Gianluca Tettamanti5Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyCouncil for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), 35143 Padova, ItalyCouncil for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), 35143 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyDepartment of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, ItalyThe increasing number of microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics is prompting the development of new antimicrobial compounds and strategies to fight bacterial infections. The use of insects to screen and test new drugs is increasingly considered a promising tool to accelerate the discovery phase and limit the use of mammalians. In this study, we used for the first time the silkworm, <i>Bombyx mori</i>, as an in vivo infection model to test the efficacy of three glycopeptide antibiotics (GPAs), against the nosocomial pathogen <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>. To reproduce the human physiological temperature, the bacterial infection was performed at 37 °C and it was monitored over time by evaluating the survival rate of the larvae, as well the response of immunological markers (i.e., activity of hemocytes, activation of the prophenoloxidase system, and lysozyme activity). All the three GPAs tested (vancomycin, teicoplanin, and dalbavancin) were effective in curing infected larvae, significantly reducing their mortality and blocking the activation of the immune system. These results corroborate the use of this silkworm infection model for the in vivo studies of antimicrobial molecules active against staphylococci.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/8/748<i>Bombyx mori</i>infection model<i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>insect immune responseantimicrobial compoundsglycopeptide antibiotics |
| spellingShingle | Aurora Montali Francesca Berini Alessio Saviane Silvia Cappellozza Flavia Marinelli Gianluca Tettamanti A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> Insects <i>Bombyx mori</i> infection model <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> insect immune response antimicrobial compounds glycopeptide antibiotics |
| title | A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> |
| title_full | A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> |
| title_fullStr | A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> |
| title_short | A <i>Bombyx mori</i> Infection Model for Screening Antibiotics against <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> |
| title_sort | i bombyx mori i infection model for screening antibiotics against i staphylococcus epidermidis i |
| topic | <i>Bombyx mori</i> infection model <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> insect immune response antimicrobial compounds glycopeptide antibiotics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/8/748 |
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