scholarly journals In VivoAssessment of Drug Efficacy against Mycobacterium abscessus Using the Embryonic Zebrafish Test System

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 4054-4063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Bernut ◽  
Vincent Le Moigne ◽  
Tiffany Lesne ◽  
Georges Lutfalla ◽  
Jean-Louis Herrmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Efficacy ◽  
Test System ◽  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Bacterial Killing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fluorescence Measurements ◽  
Drug Concentrations

ABSTRACTMycobacterium abscessusis responsible for a wide spectrum of clinical syndromes and is one of the most intrinsically drug-resistant mycobacterial species. Recent evaluation of thein vivotherapeutic efficacy of the few potentially active antibiotics againstM. abscessuswas essentially performed using immunocompromised mice. Herein, we assessed the feasibility and sensitivity of fluorescence imaging for monitoring thein vivoactivity of drugs against acuteM. abscessusinfection using zebrafish embryos. A protocol was developed where clarithromycin and imipenem were directly added to water containing fluorescentM. abscessus-infected embryos in a 96-well plate format. The status of the infection with increasing drug concentrations was visualized on a spatiotemporal level. Drug efficacy was assessed quantitatively by measuring the index of protection, the bacterial burden (CFU), and the number of abscesses through fluorescence measurements. Both drugs were active in infected embryos and were capable of significantly increasing embryo survival in a dose-dependent manner. Protection from bacterial killing correlated with restricted mycobacterial growth in the drug-treated larvae and with reduced pathophysiological symptoms, such as the number of abscesses within the brain. In conclusion, we present here a new and efficient method for testing and compare thein vivoactivity of two clinically relevant drugs based on a fluorescent reporter strain in zebrafish embryos. This approach could be used for rapid determination of thein vivodrug susceptibility profile of clinical isolates and to assess the preclinical efficacy of new compounds againstM. abscessus.

scholarly journals Assessment of Clofazimine and TB47 Combination Activity against Mycobacterium abscessus Using a Bioluminescent Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Yaoju Tan ◽  
M. Mahmudul Islam ◽  
Yuanyuan Cao ◽  
Xiaoyun Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Drug Efficacy ◽  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Multiple Drug ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium abscessus is intrinsically resistant to most antimicrobial agents. The emerging infections caused by M. abscessus and the lack of effective treatment call for rapid attention. Here, we intended to construct a selectable marker-free autoluminescent M. abscessus strain (designated UAlMab) as a real-time reporter strain to facilitate the discovery of effective drugs and regimens for treating M. abscessus. The UAlMab strain was constructed using the dif/Xer recombinase system. In vitro and in vivo activities of several drugs, including clofazimine and TB47, a recently reported cytochrome bc1 inhibitor, were assessed using UAlMab. Furthermore, the efficacy of multiple drug combinations, including the clofazimine and TB47 combination, were tested against 20 clinical M. abscessus isolates. The UAlMab strain enabled us to evaluate drug efficacy both in vitro and in live BALB/c mice in a real-time, noninvasive fashion. Importantly, although TB47 showed marginal activity either alone or in combination with clarithromycin, amikacin, or roxithromycin, the drug markedly potentiated the activity of clofazimine, both in vitro and in vivo. This study demonstrates that the use of the UAlMab strain can significantly facilitate rapid evaluation of new drugs and regimens. The clofazimine and TB47 combination is effective against M. abscessus, and dual/triple electron transport chain (ETC) targeting can be an effective therapeutic approach for treating mycobacterial infections.

scholarly journals Inhibition of the β-Lactamase BlaMab by Avibactam Improves the In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of Imipenem against Mycobacterium abscessus

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Laure Lefebvre ◽  
Vincent Le Moigne ◽  
Audrey Bernut ◽  
Carole Veckerlé ◽  
Fabrice Compain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Triple Combination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lactamase Inhibitor

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary infections are treated with a macrolide (clarithromycin or azithromycin), an aminoglycoside (amikacin), and a β-lactam (cefoxitin or imipenem). The triple combination is used without any β-lactamase inhibitor, even though M. abscessus produces the broad-spectrum β-lactamase BlaMab. We determine whether inhibition of BlaMab by avibactam improves the activity of imipenem against M. abscessus. The bactericidal activity of drug combinations was assayed in broth and in human macrophages. The in vivo efficacy of the drugs was tested by monitoring the survival of infected zebrafish embryos. The level of BlaMab production in broth and in macrophages was compared by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and Western blotting. The triple combination of imipenem (8 or 32 μg/ml), amikacin (32 μg/ml), and avibactam (4 μg/ml) was bactericidal in broth (<0.1% survival), with 3.2- and 4.3-log10 reductions in the number of CFU being achieved at 72 h when imipenem was used at 8 and 32 μg/ml, respectively. The triple combination achieved significant intracellular killing, with the bacterial survival rates being 54% and 7% with the low (8 μg/ml) and high (32 μg/ml) dosages of imipenem, respectively. In vivo inhibition of BlaMab by avibactam improved the survival of zebrafish embryos treated with imipenem. Expression of the gene encoding BlaMab was induced (20-fold) in the infected macrophages. Inhibition of BlaMab by avibactam improved the efficacy of imipenem against M. abscessus in vitro, in macrophages, and in zebrafish embryos, indicating that this β-lactamase inhibitor should be clinically evaluated. The in vitro evaluation of imipenem may underestimate the impact of BlaMab, since the production of the β-lactamase is inducible in macrophages.

scholarly journals Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Exhibit Antibacterial Activity against Burkholderia pseudomallei and Are Influenced by Bacterial and Host Factors

2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 3921-3929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donporn Riyapa ◽  
Surachat Buddhisa ◽  
Sunee Korbsrisate ◽  
Jon Cuccui ◽  
Brendan W. Wren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkholderia Pseudomallei ◽  
Capsular Polysaccharide ◽  
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps ◽  
Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Predisposing Factor ◽  
Bacterial Killing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extracellular Traps ◽  
Type Iii Protein Secretion

ABSTRACTBurkholderia pseudomalleiis the causative pathogen of melioidosis, of which a major predisposing factor is diabetes mellitus. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) kill microbes extracellularly by the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). PMNs play a key role in the control of melioidosis, but the involvement of NETs in killing ofB. pseudomalleiremains obscure. Here, we showed that bactericidal NETs were released from human PMNs in response toB. pseudomalleiin a dose- and time-dependent manner.B. pseudomallei-induced NET formation required NADPH oxidase activation but not phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinases, or Src family kinase signaling pathways.B. pseudomalleimutants defective in the virulence-associated Bsa type III protein secretion system (T3SS) or capsular polysaccharide I (CPS-I) induced elevated levels of NETs. NET induction by such mutants was associated with increased bacterial killing, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst by PMNs. Taken together the data imply that T3SS and the capsule may play a role in evading the induction of NETs. Importantly, PMNs from diabetic subjects released NETs at a lower level than PMNs from healthy subjects. Modulation of NET formation may therefore be associated with the pathogenesis and control of melioidosis.

scholarly journals Neurons Are Host Cells for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 1880-1890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa J. Randall ◽  
Nai-Jen Hsu ◽  
Dirk Lang ◽  
Susan Cooper ◽  
Boipelo Sebesho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Productive Infection ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Central Nervous System

ABSTRACTMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection of the central nervous system is thought to be initiated once the bacilli have breached the blood brain barrier and are phagocytosed, primarily by microglial cells. In this study, the interactions ofM. tuberculosiswith neuronsin vitroandin vivowere investigated. The data obtained demonstrate that neurons can act as host cells forM. tuberculosis.M. tuberculosisbacilli were internalized by murine neuronal cultured cells in a time-dependent manner after exposure, with superior uptake by HT22 cells compared to Neuro-2a cells (17.7% versus 9.8%). Internalization ofM. tuberculosisbacilli by human SK-N-SH cultured neurons suggested the clinical relevance of the findings. Moreover, primary murine hippocampus-derived neuronal cultures could similarly internalizeM. tuberculosis. InternalizedM. tuberculosisbacilli represented a productive infection with retention of bacterial viability and replicative potential, increasing 2- to 4-fold within 48 h.M. tuberculosisbacillus infection of neurons was confirmedin vivoin the brains of C57BL/6 mice after intracerebral challenge. This study, therefore, demonstrates neurons as potential new target cells forM. tuberculosiswithin the central nervous system.

scholarly journals Cotranslational Coat Protein-Mediated Inhibition of Potyviral RNA Translation

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 4237-4248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Besong-Ndika ◽  
Konstantin I. Ivanov ◽  
Anders Hafrèn ◽  
Thierry Michon ◽  
Kristiina Mäkinen
Keyword(s):  
Coat Protein ◽  
Stop Codon ◽  
Rna Virus ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virion Assembly ◽  
Rna Translation ◽  
Intrinsic Capacity

ABSTRACTPotato virus A(PVA) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus and a member of the familyPotyviridae. The PVA coat protein (CP) has an intrinsic capacity to self-assemble into filamentous virus-like particles, but the mechanism responsible for the initiation of viral RNA encapsidationin vivoremains unclear. Apart from virion assembly, PVA CP is also involved in the inhibition of viral RNA translation. In this study, we show that CP inhibits PVA RNA translation in a dose-dependent manner, through a mechanism involving the CP-encoding region. Analysis of this region, however, failed to identify any RNA secondary structure(s) preferentially recognized by CP, suggesting that the inhibition depends on CP-CP rather than CP-RNA interactions. In agreement with this possibility, insertion of an in-frame stop codon upstream of the CP sequence led to a marked decrease in the inhibition of viral RNA translation. Based on these results, we propose a model in which the cotranslational interactions between excess CP accumulating intransand CP translated from viral RNA incisare required to initiate the translational repression. This model suggests a mechanism for how viral RNA can be sequestered from translation and specifically selected for encapsidation at the late stages of viral infection.IMPORTANCEThe main functions of the CP during potyvirus infection are to protect viral RNA from degradation and to transport it locally, systemically, and from host to host. Although virion assembly is a key step in the potyviral infectious cycle, little is known about how it is initiated and how viral RNA is selected for encapsidation. The results presented here suggest that CP-CP rather than CP-RNA interactions are predominantly involved in the sequestration of viral RNA away from translation. We propose that the cotranslational nature of these interactions may represent a mechanism for the selection of viral RNA for encapsidation. A better understanding of the mechanism of virion assembly may lead to development of crops resistant to potyviruses at the level of viral RNA encapsidation, thereby reducing the detrimental effects of potyvirus infections on food production.

scholarly journals Effective Treatment of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis and Mycobacterium abscessus Species Infections in Macrophages, Biofilm, and Mice by Using Liposomal Ciprofloxacin

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Blanchard ◽  
Valerie Elias ◽  
David Cipolla ◽  
Igor Gonda ◽  
Luiz E. Bermudez
Keyword(s):  
Effective Treatment ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Mycobacterium Avium ◽  
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ◽  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Intranasal Instillation

ABSTRACT Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) affect an increasing number of individuals worldwide. Infection with these organisms is more common in patients with chronic lung conditions, and treatment is challenging. Quinolones, such as ciprofloxacin, have been used to treat patients, but the results have not been encouraging. In this report, we evaluate novel formulations of liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin (liposomal ciprofloxacin) in vitro and in vivo. Its efficacy against Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium abscessus was examined in macrophages, in biofilms, and in vivo using intranasal instillation mouse models. Liposomal ciprofloxacin was significantly more active than free ciprofloxacin against both pathogens in macrophages and biofilms. When evaluated in vivo, treatment with the liposomal ciprofloxacin formulations was associated with significant decreases in the bacterial loads in the lungs of animals infected with M. avium and M. abscessus. In summary, topical delivery of liposomal ciprofloxacin in the lung at concentrations greater than those achieved in the serum can be effective in the treatment of NTM, and further evaluation is warranted.

scholarly journals Testing Tuberculosis Drug Efficacy in a Zebrafish High-Throughput Translational Medicine Screen

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 753-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Ordas ◽  
Robert-Jan Raterink ◽  
Fraser Cunningham ◽  
Hans J. Jansen ◽  
Malgorzata I. Wiweger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
Drug Screening ◽  
Drug Efficacy ◽  
Drug Uptake ◽  
Spectrometric Analysis ◽  
Major Advance ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Screening Platform

ABSTRACTThe translational value of zebrafish high-throughput screens can be improved when more knowledge is available on uptake characteristics of potential drugs. We investigated reference antibiotics and 15 preclinical compounds in a translational zebrafish-rodent screening system for tuberculosis. As a major advance, we have developed a new tool for testing drug uptake in the zebrafish model. This is important, because despite the many applications of assessing drug efficacy in zebrafish research, the current methods for measuring uptake using mass spectrometry do not take into account the possible adherence of drugs to the larval surface. Our approach combines nanoliter sampling from the yolk using a microneedle, followed by mass spectrometric analysis. To date, no single physicochemical property has been identified to accurately predict compound uptake; our method offers a great possibility to monitor how any novel compound behaves within the system. We have correlated the uptake data with high-throughput drug-screening data fromMycobacterium marinum-infected zebrafish larvae. As a result, we present an improved zebrafish larva drug-screening platform which offers new insights into drug efficacy and identifies potential false negatives and drugs that are effective in zebrafish and rodents. We demonstrate that this improved zebrafish drug-screening platform can complement conventional models ofin vivoMycobacterium tuberculosis-infected rodent assays. The detailed comparison of two vertebrate systems, fish and rodent, may give more predictive value for efficacy of drugs in humans.

scholarly journals Dectin-1 Stimulation of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells Occurs In Vivo and Promotes Differentiation Toward Trained Macrophages via an Indirect Cell-Autonomous Mechanism

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Bono ◽  
Alba Martínez ◽  
Javier Megías ◽  
Daniel Gozalbo ◽  
Alberto Yáñez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Recipient Mouse ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Toll Like Receptor ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stem And Progenitor Cells

ABSTRACT Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists drive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to differentiate along the myeloid lineage. In this study, we used an HSPC transplantation model to investigate the possible direct interaction of β-glucan and its receptor (dectin-1) on HSPCs in vivo. Purified HSPCs from bone marrow of B6Ly5.1 mice (CD45.1 alloantigen) were transplanted into dectin-1−/− mice (CD45.2 alloantigen), which were then injected with β-glucan (depleted zymosan). As recipient mouse cells do not recognize the dectin-1 agonist injected, interference by soluble mediators secreted by recipient cells is negligible. Transplanted HSPCs differentiated into macrophages in response to depleted zymosan in the spleens and bone marrow of recipient mice. Functionally, macrophages derived from HSPCs exposed to depleted zymosan in vivo produced higher levels of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin 6 [IL-6]). These results demonstrate that trained immune responses, already described for monocytes and macrophages, also take place in HSPCs. Using a similar in vivo model of HSPC transplantation, we demonstrated that inactivated yeasts of Candida albicans induce differentiation of HSPCs through a dectin-1- and MyD88-dependent pathway. Soluble factors produced following exposure of HSPCs to dectin-1 agonists acted in a paracrine manner to induce myeloid differentiation and to influence the function of macrophages derived from dectin-1-unresponsive or β-glucan-unexposed HSPCs. Finally, we demonstrated that an in vitro transient exposure of HSPCs to live C. albicans cells, prior to differentiation, is sufficient to induce a trained phenotype of the macrophages they produce in a dectin-1- and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-dependent manner. IMPORTANCE Invasive candidiasis is an increasingly frequent cause of serious and often fatal infections. Understanding host defense is essential to design novel therapeutic strategies to boost immune protection against Candida albicans. In this article, we delve into two new concepts that have arisen over the last years: (i) the delivery of myelopoiesis-inducing signals by microbial components directly sensed by hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and (ii) the concept of “trained innate immunity” that may also apply to HSPCs. We demonstrate that dectin-1 ligation in vivo activates HSPCs and induces their differentiation to trained macrophages by a cell-autonomous indirect mechanism. This points to new mechanisms by which pathogen detection by HSPCs may modulate hematopoiesis in real time to generate myeloid cells better prepared to deal with the infection. Manipulation of this process may help to boost the innate immune response during candidiasis.

scholarly journals Rifabutin Is Bactericidal against Intracellular and Extracellular Forms of Mycobacterium abscessus

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt D. Johansen ◽  
Wassim Daher ◽  
Françoise Roquet-Banères ◽  
Clément Raynaud ◽  
Matthéo Alcaraz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attractive Option ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics ◽  
Susceptibility Profiles ◽  
Combination Regimens

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium abscessus is increasingly recognized as an emerging opportunistic pathogen causing severe lung diseases. As it is intrinsically resistant to most conventional antibiotics, there is an unmet medical need for effective treatments. Repurposing of clinically validated pharmaceuticals represents an attractive option for the development of chemotherapeutic alternatives against M. abscessus infections. In this context, rifabutin (RFB) has been shown to be active against M. abscessus and has raised renewed interest in using rifamycins for the treatment of M. abscessus pulmonary diseases. Here, we compared the in vitro and in vivo activity of RFB against the smooth and rough variants of M. abscessus, differing in their susceptibility profiles to several drugs and physiopathologial characteristics. While the activity of RFB is greater against rough strains than in smooth strains in vitro, suggesting a role of the glycopeptidolipid layer in susceptibility to RFB, both variants were equally susceptible to RFB inside human macrophages. RFB treatment also led to a reduction in the number and size of intracellular and extracellular mycobacterial cords. Furthermore, RFB was highly effective in a zebrafish model of infection and protected the infected larvae from M. abscessus-induced killing. This was corroborated by a significant reduction in the overall bacterial burden, as well as decreased numbers of abscesses and cords, two major pathophysiological traits in infected zebrafish. This study indicates that RFB is active against M. abscessus both in vitro and in vivo, further supporting its potential usefulness as part of combination regimens targeting this difficult-to-treat mycobacterium.

scholarly journals In Vivo Biomarker Analysis of the Effects of Intranasally Dosed PC945, a Novel Antifungal Triazole, on Aspergillus fumigatus Infection in Immunocompromised Mice

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genki Kimura ◽  
Takahiro Nakaoki ◽  
Thomas Colley ◽  
Garth Rapeport ◽  
Pete Strong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
Interleukin 17 ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Biomarker Analysis ◽  
Immunocompromised Mice

ABSTRACT PC945 is a novel triazole optimized for lung delivery, and the objective of this study is to determine the effects of intranasally dosed PC945 on Aspergillus fumigatus infection and associated biomarkers in immunocompromised mice. PC945, posaconazole, or voriconazole was administered intranasally once daily on days 0 to 3 (early intervention) or days 1 to 3 (late intervention) postinfection in temporarily neutropenic A/J mice infected intranasally with A. fumigatus, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum were collected on day 3. The effects of extended prophylaxis treatment (daily from days −7 to +3 or days −7 to 0) were also compared with those of the shorter treatment regimens (days −1 to +3 or days −1 and 0). Early and late interventions with PC945 (2.8 to 350 μg/mouse; approximately 0.11 to ∼14 mg/kg of body weight) were found to inhibit lung fungal loads and to decrease the concentrations of galactomannan (GM) in both BALF and serum as well as several biomarkers in BALF (interferon gamma [IFN-γ], interleukin-17 [IL-17], and malondialdehyde) and serum (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α] and IL-6) in a dose-dependent manner and were >3- and >47-fold more potent than intranasally dosed posaconazole and voriconazole, respectively. Furthermore, extended prophylaxis with low-dose PC945 (0.56 μg/mouse; 0.022 mg/kg) was found to inhibit fungal loads and to decrease the concentrations biomarkers more potently than did the shorter treatment regimens. Thus, PC945 dosed intranasally once daily showed potent antifungal effects, and the effects of PC945 accumulated upon repeat dosing and were persistent. Therefore, PC945 has the potential to be a novel inhaled therapy for the treatment of A. fumigatus infection in humans.

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