Galleria mellonella is an effective model to study Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection.
Microbiology (Reading)
; 161(Pt 2): 387-400, 2015 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25414045
ABSTRACT
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is responsible for swine pleuropneumonia, a respiratory disease that causes significant global economic loss. Its virulence depends on many factors, such as capsular polysaccharides, RTX toxins and iron-acquisition systems. Analysis of virulence may require easy-to-use models that approximate mammalian infection and avoid ethical issues. Here, we investigate the potential use of the wax moth Galleria mellonella as an informative model for A. pleuropneumoniae infection. Genotypically distinct A. pleuropneumoniae clinical isolates were able to kill larvae at 37 °C but had different LD50 values, ranging from 10(4) to 10(7) c.f.u. per larva. The most virulent isolate (1022) was able to persist and replicate within the insect, while the least virulent (780) was rapidly cleared. We observed a decrease in haemocyte concentration, aggregation and DNA damage post-infection with isolate 1022. Melanization points around bacterial cells were observed in the fat body and pericardial tissues of infected G. mellonella, indicating vigorous cell and humoral immune responses close to the larval dorsal vessel. As found in pigs, an A. pleuropneumoniae hfq mutant was significantly attenuated for infection in the G. mellonella model. Additionally, the model could be used to assess the effectiveness of several antimicrobial agents against A. pleuropneumoniae in vivo. G. mellonella is a suitable inexpensive alternative infection model that can be used to study the virulence of A. pleuropneumoniae, as well as assess the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents against this pathogen.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Infecções por Actinobacillus
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Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
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Modelos Animais de Doenças
/
Mariposas
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Microbiology (Reading)
Assunto da revista:
MICROBIOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2015
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil