Toxicological Assays for Testing Effects of an Epigenetic Drug on Development, Fecundity and Survivorship of Malaria Mosquitoes

Summary

A protocol is developed to examine the effects of an epigenetic drug DZNep on the development, fecundity and survivorship of mosquitoes. Here we describe procedures for the aqueous exposure of DZNep to immature mosquitoes and a blood-based exposure of DZNep to adult mosquitoes in addition to measuring SAH hydrolase inhibition.

Abstract

Insecticidal resistance poses a major problem for malaria control programs. Mosquitoes adapt to a wide range of changes in the environment quickly, making malaria control an omnipresent problem in tropical countries. The emergence of insecticide resistant populations warrants the exploration of novel drug target pathways and compounds for vector mosquito control. Epigenetic drugs are well established in cancer research, however not much is known about their effects on insects. This study provides a simple protocol for examining the toxicological effects of 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), an experimental epigenetic drug for cancer therapy, on the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. A concentration-dependent increase in mortality and decrease in size was observed in immature mosquitoes exposed to DZNep, whereas the compound reduced the fecundity of adult mosquitoes relative to control treatments. In addition, there was a drug-dependent decrease in S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) hydrolase activity in mosquitoes following exposure to DZNep relative to control treatments. These protocols provide the researcher with a simple, step-by-step procedure to assess multiple toxicological endpoints for an experimental drug and, in turn, demonstrate a unique multi-prong approach for exploring the toxicological effects of water-soluble epigenetic drugs or compounds of interest against vector mosquitoes and other insects.

Introduction

Malaria is responsible for the highest number of insect-related deaths in the world. An estimated 219 million cases occur annually worldwide, resulting in approximately 660,000 deaths, primarily in Africa ¹. Despite concerted efforts, malaria programs face several challenges. While insecticidal treated bednets and indoor residual spraying form key components of the program, resistance to insecticides in local populations impede these efforts ². The rapid increase in insecticide resistant mosquito populations is largely attributed to the ability of the malaria mosquitoes to adapt quickly to changes in their environment and exploit different niches....

Protocol

NOTE: The three parts of the protocol describe the aqueous exposure of the DZNep drug to larval mosquitoes, a blood-based exposure of DZNep to adult females to study its effect of fecundity, and SAH hydrolase inhibition by DZNep measured using a simple colorimetric technique. A schematic representation of these assays is shown in Figure 1.

1. Immature Mosquito Development and Survivorship Assays

NOTE: This section explains the use of a water-soluble drug that affects mosquito larvae development and survival.

1. Hatch A. gambiae eggs at 28 °C in distilled water (dH₂

Results

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the assays; it describes the various steps of the procedure listed in this article. As the protocol is based on different life stages of mosquitoes, there is no particular sequence to be followed for the experiments detailed here. The user may choose to conduct one or more assays at the same time, depending upon sample availability.

Figure 2 demonstrates the plate set up for the immature mosquito development an.......

Discussion

There are several steps vital to the successful application of this protocol. For the larval assay, care should be taken to correctly label and replicate each test concentration. Randomizing test samples and adding the designated amount of drug to respective test wells is an important part of this experimental set up. Before adding 2^nd instar mosquito larvae to a 96-well microplate, each larva can be put on a paper towel for 2-3 sec to remove excess water. To prevent desiccation, larvae must be immediately tra.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
96-well microplate	Fisher Scientific	12565561
Cell culture plate	CytoOne	CC7682-7506
Centrifuge	Sorvall Fresco	76003758	A different centrifuge can be used
Colored tape rolls	Fisher	S68134
Dissection microscope	Olympus	SZ
DTNB	Sigma Aldrich	D8130
DZNep.HCl	Sigma Aldrich	SMLO305
Egg dish cups
Filter papers	Fisher	09-795E
Glass feeders	Virginia Tech
Glass tissue homogenizer
Heating element	Fisher Scientific	NC0520091
Incubator	Percival scientific	I36VLC8	A different incubator can be used
Microcentrifuge tube, 2 ml	Axygen	22-283
Microcentrifuge tube, 1.5 ml	Axygen	MCT-150-C
Micropipette	Eppendorf	4910 000.069
Na2HPO4	Fisher Scientific	M-3154
NaH2PO4	Fisher Scientific	M-8643
pH meter	Mettler Toledo 7easy	S20
Plate reader	Spectramax	M2
SAH	Sigma Aldrich	A9384	store at -20 °C
Triton X-100	Sigma Aldrich	T8787