Sulfasalazine-double stranded ribonucleic acid nanoparticle for controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Background & objectives: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are vectors for dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses, which threaten over half the world's population. Therefore, new techniques are needed to control vector mosquitoes. The present study aimed to control female Ae. aegypti by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of vector borne diseases Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 362 - 368
Main Authors: Subaraja, Mamangam, Hillary, V Edwin, Savarimuthu, Ignacimuthu
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: India Wolters Kluwer - Medknow 01.07.2025
Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd
Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
Edition:2
Subjects:
Aedes - drug effects
Aedes - genetics
aedes aegypti
Analysis
Animals
Anopheles
Atomic force microscopy
B cells
Ecdysone
Eggs
Female
gene silencing
Genes
Genetic engineering
Genetic transcription
Health aspects
Infrared spectroscopy
microinjection
Microscopy
Mosquito Control - methods
Mosquito Vectors - drug effects
Mosquitoes
Nanoparticles - chemistry
nosquito control
Raman spectroscopy
Research Article
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
RNA, Double-Stranded - pharmacology
Sf9 Cells
Spectrum analysis
Sulfasalazine
sulfasalazine-double stranded ribonucleic acid
United States
India
gene silencing
microinjection
sulfasalazine-double stranded ribonucleic acid
nosquito control
ISSN:0972-9062, 0972-9062
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Background & objectives: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are vectors for dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses, which threaten over half the world's population. Therefore, new techniques are needed to control vector mosquitoes. The present study aimed to control female Ae. aegypti by targeting 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and ecdysone receptor (EcR), which could potentially disrupt egg development, using sulfasalazine (SSZ)-double-stranded RNA (ds-RNA) nanoparticles (NPs). Methods: The SSZ-dsRNA NPs are characterized by light microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, raman spectroscopy, and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Next, 40 pl of SSZ, dsRNA, and SSZ-dsRNA NPs individually were injected into eggs of Ae. aegypti. Finally, the temporal gene expression levels of 3β-HSD and EcR genes were assessed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: The mortality rate and sterility were significantly increased (p<0.05), and the percentage of fecundity and viable progeny (p<0.05) showed effective results when exposed to SSZ-dsRNA compared to control eggs. In addition, the Sf9 cell line also confirmed the downregulation of the m-RNA 3β-HSD and EcR successfully when exposed to SSZ-dsRNA. Interpretation & conclusion: The current study proves for the first time that SSZ-dsRNA NPs can be used broadly for 3β-HSD and EcR gene silencing in mosquitoes. The use of this NPs SSZ-dsRNA complex in mosquito eggs leads to reduced fecundity in Ae. aegypti. This method will open a new door for mosquito control, which can be explored and utilized with future comprehensive research for better results. This method is not only limited to mosquito species like Ae. aegypti, it can also be tried with different mosquitoes as well as other insect species that cause harm to humans as pests of crops or vectors of various diseases.
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ISSN:0972-9062
0972-9062
DOI:10.4103/jvbd.jvbd_136_24