Kaito Chikara, Akimitsu Nobuyoshi, Watanabe Haruo, Sekimizu Kazuhisa
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-1, 7-Chome, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Microb Pathog. 2002 Apr;32(4):183-90. doi: 10.1006/mpat.2002.0494.
Silkworm larvae, Bombyx mori, were examined as an animal model of human infection with pathogenic bacteria. When 3 x 10(7) cells of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Vibrio cholerae were injected into the blood of fifth instar silkworm larvae, over 90% of the larvae died within 2 days, whereas over 90% survived for 5 days after injection of the same amount of Escherichia coli. Growth of S. aureus was observed in larvae blood and tissues. Immunostaining analysis revealed that S. aureus proliferated at the surface of the midgut. Infection of silkworm larvae by methicillin-sensitive S. aureus was cured by ampicillin, oxacillin, and vancomycin, whereas infection by methicillin-resistant S. aureus was not cured by ampicillin or oxacillin, although vancomycin was effective. Disinfectants were not effective because of toxicity against the larvae. Thus, silkworm larvae are useful for evaluating antibiotics for pathogenic bacterial infection in humans.
家蚕幼虫（Bombyx mori）被作为人类感染病原菌的动物模型进行研究。当将3×10⁷个金黄色葡萄球菌、铜绿假单胞菌或霍乱弧菌细胞注入五龄家蚕幼虫的血液中时，超过90%的幼虫在2天内死亡，而注入相同数量的大肠杆菌后，超过90%的幼虫存活了5天。在幼虫的血液和组织中观察到了金黄色葡萄球菌的生长。免疫染色分析显示，金黄色葡萄球菌在中肠表面增殖。对甲氧西林敏感的金黄色葡萄球菌感染家蚕幼虫可被氨苄西林、苯唑西林和万古霉素治愈，而对甲氧西林耐药的金黄色葡萄球菌感染虽不能被氨苄西林或苯唑西林治愈，但万古霉素有效。由于消毒剂对幼虫有毒性，所以无效。因此，家蚕幼虫可用于评估治疗人类病原菌感染的抗生素。
