Evaluation of Anti-Mycobacterial Compounds in a Silkworm Infection Model with.

Abstract

Among four mycobacteria,,,BCG and(), we established a silkworm infection assay with. When silkworms (fifth-instar larvae,= 5) were infected through the hemolymph with(7.5 × 10CFU/larva) and bred at 37 °C, they all died around 40 h after injection. Under the conditions, clarithromycin and amikacin, clinically used antimicrobial agents, exhibited therapeutic effects in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, five kinds of microbial compounds, lariatin A, nosiheptide, ohmyungsamycins A and B, quinomycin and steffimycin, screened in an in vitro assay to observe anti-activity from 400 microbial products were evaluated in this silkworm infection assay. Lariatin A and nosiheptide exhibited therapeutic efficacy. The silkworm infection model withis useful to screen for therapeutically effective anti-antibiotics.