title: Experimental protection of mice against lethal Staphylococcus aureus infection by novel bacteriophage phi MR11.
abstract: The protective effects of bacteriophages were assessed against experimental Staphylococcus aureus infection in mice. Of the S. aureus phages isolated in the study, phi MR11 was representatively used for all testing, because its host range was the most broad and it carries no genes for known toxins or antibiotic resistance. Intraperitoneal injections (8 x 10(8) cells) of S. aureus, including methicillin-resistant bacteria, caused bacteremia and eventual death in mice. In contrast, subsequent intraperitoneal administration of purified phi MR11 (MOI > or = 0.1) suppressed S. aureus-induced lethality. This lifesaving effect coincided with the rapid appearance of phi MR11 in the circulation, which remained at substantial levels until the bacteria were eradicated. Inoculation with high-dose phi MR11 alone produced no adverse effects attributable to the phage. These results uphold the efficacy of phage therapy against pernicious S. aureus infections in humans and suggest that phi MR11 may be a potential prototype for gene-modified, advanced therapeutic S. aureus phages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigenobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ujihara
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shuin
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Shigeyoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Nasimuzzaman
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakiguchi
authors.forename: Shigeyoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugihara
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koda
authors.forename: Asako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: Shosuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D008712:Methicillin