title: Bacteriophage therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.
abstract: The protective effect of bacteriophage was assessed against experimental Staphylococcus aureus lethal bacteremia in streptozotocin (STZ) induced-diabetic and non-diabetic mice. Intraperitoneal administrations of S. aureus (RCS21) of 2 × 10⁸ CFU caused lethal bacteremia in both diabetic and non-diabetic mice. A single administration of a newly isolated lytic phage strain (GRCS) significantly protected diabetic and non-diabetic mice from lethal bacteremia (survival rate 90% and 100% for diabetic and non-diabetic bacteremic groups versus 0% for saline-treated groups). Comparison of phage therapy to oxacillin treatment showed a significant decrease in RCS21 of 5 and 3 log units in diabetic and non-diabetic bacteremic mice, respectively. The same protection efficiency of phage GRCS was attained even when the treatment was delayed up to 4 h in both diabetic and non-diabetic bacteremic mice. Inoculation of mice with a high dose (10¹⁰ PFU) of phage GRCS alone produced no adverse effects attributable to the phage per se. These results suggest that phages could constitute valuable prophylaxis against S. aureus infections, especially in immunocompromised patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga-585 106, Karnataka, India. rajusungar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Raju
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sunagar
authors.forename: Shripad A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: R Kelmani
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chandrakanth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000628:therapy*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010068:Oxacillin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D013204:Staphylococcus Phages / Q000254:growth & development*; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000633:toxicity; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013311:Streptozocin; D010068:Oxacillin