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Habjan E, Schouten GK, Speer A, van Ulsen P, Bitter W. Diving into drug-screening: zebrafish embryos as an in vivo platform for antimicrobial drug discovery and assessment. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuae011. [PMID: 38684467 PMCID: PMC11078164 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuae011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria underlines the need for innovative treatments, yet the introduction of new drugs has stagnated despite numerous antimicrobial discoveries. A major hurdle is a poor correlation between promising in vitro data and in vivo efficacy in animal models, which is essential for clinical development. Early in vivo testing is hindered by the expense and complexity of existing animal models. Therefore, there is a pressing need for cost-effective, rapid preclinical models with high translational value. To overcome these challenges, zebrafish embryos have emerged as an attractive model for infectious disease studies, offering advantages such as ethical alignment, rapid development, ease of maintenance, and genetic manipulability. The zebrafish embryo infection model, involving microinjection or immersion of pathogens and potential antibiotic hit compounds, provides a promising solution for early-stage drug screening. It offers a cost-effective and rapid means of assessing the efficacy, toxicity and mechanism of action of compounds in a whole-organism context. This review discusses the experimental design of this model, but also its benefits and challenges. Additionally, it highlights recently identified compounds in the zebrafish embryo infection model and discusses the relevance of the model in predicting the compound's clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Habjan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gina K Schouten
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Speer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter van Ulsen
- Section Molecular Microbiology of A-LIFE, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilbert Bitter
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Location VU Medical Center,De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Section Molecular Microbiology of A-LIFE, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Giommi C, Lombó M, Habibi HR, Rossi G, Basili D, Mangiaterra S, Ladisa C, Chemello G, Carnevali O, Maradonna F. The probiotic SLAB51 as agent to counteract BPA toxicity on zebrafish gut microbiota -liver-brain axis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169303. [PMID: 38135076 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
A plethora of studies have so far described the toxic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on organism health, highlighting the urgent need to find new strategies not only to reduce the presence of this toxicant but also to counteract its adverse effects. In this context, probiotics emerged as a potential tool since they promote organism welfare. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this study explores the effects of SLAB51 dietary administration to counteract BPA toxicity using zebrafish as a model. Adult males and females were maintained under standard conditions (control group; C), exposed for 28 days via the water to an environmental relevant dose of BPA (10 μg/L; BPA), dietary treated with SLAB51 (109 CFU/g of body weight; P) and co-treated with BPA plus SLAB51 (BPA + P). In the gut, exposure to BPA resulted in altered architecture in both males and females, with females also experiencing an increase of pathogenic bacterial species. Co-administration of BPA + P led to the restoration of normal gut architecture, favored beneficial bacteria colonization, and decreased the abundance of pathogenic species. In the liver, male BPA exposure led to steatosis and glycogen depletion, which was partially mitigated by SLAB51 co-administration. In contrast, in females exposed to BPA, the lack of steatosis along with the greater glycogen depletion, suggested an increase in energy demand as supported by the metabolomic phenotype. The analysis of liver metabolites in BPA + P males revealed increased levels of anserine and reduced levels of glutamine, which could lie behind the counteraction of the brain histopathological damage caused by BPA. In BPA + P females, a reduction of retinoic acid was found in the liver, suggesting an increase in retinoids responsible for BPA detoxification. Overall, these results demonstrate that SLAB51 exerts its beneficial effects on the gut microbiota-brain-liver axis through distinct molecular pathways, effectively mitigating the pleiotropic toxicity of BPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Giommi
- Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; INBB - Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy.
| | - Marta Lombó
- Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; INBB - Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain.
| | - Hamid R Habibi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Giacomo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica (MC), Italy.
| | - Danilo Basili
- Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Sara Mangiaterra
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica (MC), Italy.
| | - Claudia Ladisa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Giulia Chemello
- Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; INBB - Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy.
| | - Oliana Carnevali
- Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; INBB - Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy.
| | - Francesca Maradonna
- Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; INBB - Consorzio Interuniversitario di Biosistemi e Biostrutture, 00136 Roma, Italy.
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Fries F, Kany AM, Rasheed S, Hirsch AKH, Müller R, Herrmann J. Impact of Drug Administration Routes on the In Vivo Efficacy of the Natural Product Sorangicin a Using a Staphylococcus aureus Infection Model in Zebrafish Embryos. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12791. [PMID: 37628971 PMCID: PMC10454396 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus causes a wide range of infections, and it is one of the leading pathogens responsible for deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance, the rapid spread of which among S. aureus urges the discovery of new antibiotics. The evaluation of in vivo efficacy of novel drug candidates is usually performed using animal models. Recently, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos have become increasingly attractive in early drug discovery. Herein, we established a zebrafish embryo model of S. aureus infection for evaluation of in vivo efficacy of novel potential antimicrobials. A local infection was induced by microinjecting mCherry-expressing S. aureus Newman followed by treatment with reference antibiotics via microinjection into different injection sites as well as via waterborne exposure to study the impact of the administration route on efficacy. We successfully used the developed model to evaluate the in vivo activity of the natural product sorangicin A, for which common mouse models were not successful due to fast degradation in plasma. In conclusion, we present a novel screening platform for assessing in vivo activity at the antibiotic discovery stage. Furthermore, this work provides consideration for the choice of an appropriate administration route based on the physicochemical properties of tested drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Fries
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (F.F.); (A.M.K.); (S.R.); (A.K.H.H.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Andreas M. Kany
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (F.F.); (A.M.K.); (S.R.); (A.K.H.H.); (R.M.)
| | - Sari Rasheed
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (F.F.); (A.M.K.); (S.R.); (A.K.H.H.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anna K. H. Hirsch
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (F.F.); (A.M.K.); (S.R.); (A.K.H.H.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (F.F.); (A.M.K.); (S.R.); (A.K.H.H.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jennifer Herrmann
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, Campus E8 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (F.F.); (A.M.K.); (S.R.); (A.K.H.H.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
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Rasheed S, Fries F, Müller R, Herrmann J. Zebrafish: An Attractive Model to Study Staphylococcus aureus Infection and Its Use as a Drug Discovery Tool. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:594. [PMID: 34205723 PMCID: PMC8235121 DOI: 10.3390/ph14060594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-mammalian in vivo disease models are particularly popular in early drug discovery. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an attractive vertebrate model, the success of which is driven by several advantages, such as the optical transparency of larvae, the small and completely sequenced genome, the small size of embryos and larvae enabling high-throughput screening, and low costs. In this review, we highlight zebrafish models of Staphyloccoccus aureus infection, which are used in drug discovery and for studying disease pathogenesis and virulence. Further, these infection models are discussed in the context of other relevant zebrafish models for pharmacological and toxicological studies as part of early drug profiling. In addition, we examine key differences to commonly applied models of S.aureus infection based on invertebrate organisms, and we compare their frequency of use in academic research covering the period of January 2011 to January 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Rasheed
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (S.R.); (F.F.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover–Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Franziska Fries
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (S.R.); (F.F.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover–Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (S.R.); (F.F.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover–Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jennifer Herrmann
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (S.R.); (F.F.); (R.M.)
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover–Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
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Compounds from Cynomorium songaricum with Estrogenic and Androgenic Activities Suppress the Oestrogen/Androgen-Induced BPH Process. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2017; 2017:6438013. [PMID: 28588640 PMCID: PMC5447316 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6438013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Objective To investigate the phytoestrogenic and phytoandrogenic activities of compounds isolated from CS and uncover the role of CS in prevention of oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH. Methods Cells were treated with CS compounds, and immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the nuclear translocation of ERα or AR in MCF-7 or LNCaP cells; luciferase reporter assay was performed to detect ERs or AR transcriptional activity in HeLa or AD293 cells; MTT assay was performed to detect the cell proliferation of MCF-7 or LNCaP cells. Oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH model was established in rat and the anti-BPH, anti-estrogenic, and anti-androgenic activities of CS in vivo were further investigated. Results The nuclear translocation of ERα was stimulated by nine CS compounds, three of which also stimulated AR translocation. The transcriptional activities of ERα and ERβ were induced by five compounds, within which only ECG induced AR transcriptional activity as well. Besides, ECG stimulated the proliferation of both MCF-7 cells and LNCaP cells. CS extract suppressed oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH progress in vivo by downregulation of E2 and T level in serum and alteration of the expressions of ERα, ERβ, and AR in the prostate. Conclusion Our data demonstrates that compounds from CS exhibit phytoestrogenic and phytoandrogenic activities, which may contribute to inhibiting the oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH development.
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Novel therapeutics for bacterial infections. Emerg Top Life Sci 2017; 1:85-92. [PMID: 33525811 DOI: 10.1042/etls20160017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The relentless increase in antibiotic resistance among all major groups of bacterial pathogens shows no sign of abating. The situation is exacerbated by a marked decline in the number of new antibiotics entering the marketplace. It is essential that new ways to treat severe bacterial infections are investigated before the antibiotic well runs dry. This review covers many promising approaches, some novel and some based on old ideas that were not considered viable when clinicians were able to exploit a wide palette of cheap and effective antibacterial chemotherapeutics. These approaches include the use of photosensitive dyes, bacteriophage and phage-encoded proteins, and agents that compromise virulence and antibiotic-resistance machineries. I also make a case for continuing in some form with tried and trusted platforms for drug discovery that served society well in the past.
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