Clavanin A improves outcome of complications from different bacterial infections.

Abstract

The rapid increase in the incidence of multidrug-resistant infections today has led to enormous interest in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as suitable compounds for developing unusual antibiotics. In this study, clavanin A, an antimicrobial peptide previously isolated from the marine tunicate Styela clava, was selected as a purposeful molecule that could be used in controlling infection and further synthesized. Clavanin A was in vitro evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as well as toward L929 mouse fibroblasts and skin primary cells (SPCs). Moreover, this peptide was challenged here in an in vivo wound and sepsis model, and the immune response was also analyzed. Despite displaying clear in vitro antimicrobial activity toward Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, clavanin A showed no cytotoxic activities against mammalian cells, and in acute toxicity tests, no adverse reaction was observed at any of the concentrations. Moreover, clavanin A significantly reduced the S. aureus CFU in an experimental wound model. This peptide also reduced the mortality of mice infected with E. coli and S. aureus by 80% compared with that of control animals (treated with phosphate-buffered saline [PBS]): these data suggest that clavanin A prevents the start of sepsis and thereby reduces mortality. These data suggest that clavanin A is an AMP that could improve the development of novel peptide-based strategies for the treatment of wound and sepsis infections.

• Authors: Osmar N Silva, Isabel C M Fensterseifer, Elaine A Rodrigues, Hortência H S Holanda, Natasha R F Novaes, Junia P A Cunha, Taia M B Rezende, Kelly G Magalhães, Susana E Moreno, Márcio S Jerônimo, Anamélia L Bocca, Octavio L Franco
• Journal: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (Antimicrob Agents Chemother) Vol. 59 Issue 3 Pg. 1620-6 (Mar 2015) ISSN: 1098-6596 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25547358 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Infective Agents
• Blood Proteins
• Peptides
• clavanin A

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Infective Agents (pharmacology)
• Blood Proteins (pharmacology)
• Escherichia coli (drug effects)
• Escherichia coli Infections (drug therapy)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Peptides (pharmacology)
• Staphylococcal Infections (drug therapy)
• Staphylococcus aureus (drug effects)