Using Galleria mellonella-Candida albicans infection model to evaluate antifungal agents

Biol Pharm Bull. 2013;36(9):1482-7. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b13-00270.

Abstract

Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen. Galleria mellonella is widely used as an infection model host. Nevertheless, the G. mellonella-C. albicans infection model had not been optimized for drug evaluation before this study. In this work, we revealed that 5 × 10(5) colony forming unit (CFU)/larva was a suitable inoculum to optimize the G. mellonella-C. albicans infection model in order to evaluate antifungal agents. Using our optimized model, the antifungal effect of fluconazole, amphotericin B and flucytosine, and the synergy between amphotericin B and flucytosine were successfully verified. Thus, this study provides a rapid, inexpensive and reliable way to evaluate antifungals in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphotericin B / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Candida albicans / drug effects*
  • Candida albicans / pathogenicity
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Fluconazole / pharmacology
  • Flucytosine / pharmacology
  • Larva / microbiology
  • Moths / microbiology*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Amphotericin B
  • Fluconazole
  • Flucytosine