The inhibition of Candida albicans by selected essential oils and their major components

Many volatile oils are known to possess antifungal properties and are potentially applicable as antimycotic agents. By studying the efficacy of essential oils against different pathogenic mycetes, we have evaluated the in-vitro inhibiting activity of some essential oils and their main constituents against a strain of Candida albicans. Sixteen commercial essential oils and forty-two pure constituents (alcohols, aldehydes, ketons, phenols and hydrocarbons), were tested by using a semisolid agar antifungal susceptibility (SAAS) method. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analyses of the oils tested were performed. The essential oils of Origanum vulgare, Satureja montana, Mentha piperita, Cinnamomum verum, Cymbopogon flexuosus showed maximum inhibitory activity (MIC = 500 ppm) after 7 days. According to the results of the examination of pure constituents, -phellandrene proved to be the most interesting component among cyclic monoterpenic hydrocarbons as it showed a strong activity (MIC = 50 ppm). The most active of phenols was carvacrol (MIC 100 ppm). The open-chain alcohol 1-decanol was the most active of alcohols at 50 ppm. Finally, among aldehydes, a strong activity was shown by trans-cynnamaldehyde (MIC 50 ppm).     

Resistance to fluconazole in Candida albicans from AIDS patients correlated with reduced intracellular accumulation of drug

Abstract Mucosal candidosis is an almost inevitable consequence of AIDS. Resistance to fluconazole therapy associated with enhanced tolerance, detectable in microbiological estimation of sensitivity, occurs in up to 10% of cases with late-stage AIDS. We report here our biochemical analysis of the basis of resistance in a study of two susceptible and two resistant isolates. Resistance was not associated with a change in the target enzyme sterol 14α-demethylase, as indicated by equivalent levels of fluconazole inhibition of activity in extracts from all four isolates, or by mutations in sterol Δ ^5,6 desaturase as previously observed in Saccharomyces cereuisiae and Ustilago maydis . Reduced cellular content of fluconazole in the resistant isolates of between six to ten-fold was observed which could account for their resistant phenotype.     

乳杆菌发酵上清对耐药白假丝酵母生物膜的作用

目的 研究德氏乳杆菌(Lactobacillus delbrueckii,L.delbrueckii)和发酵乳杆菌(Lactobacillus fermentum,L.fermentum)发酵上清液对3株耐氟康唑白假丝酵母临床分离株CA3、CA6、CA8生物膜形成和分散的作用。 方法 通过MIC试验,确认3株白假丝酵母临床分离株对氟康唑耐药;用96孔板构建体外白假丝酵母生物膜;用棋盘法分别检测L.delbrueckii、L.fermentum发酵上清液与氟康唑联用对3株白假丝酵母的作用;用XTT法对生物膜形成量进行定量分析;检测L.delbrueckii、L.fermentum发酵上清液与氟康唑联用对白假丝酵母时间-生长曲线的影响;显微镜拍照检测L.delbrueckii、L.fermentum发酵上清液单独和氟康唑联用对白假丝酵母生物膜形态的影响;平板培养法检测L.fermentum发酵上清液对白假丝酵母黏附作用的影响。 结果 CA3、CA6、CA8三株临床分离菌株对氟康唑耐药,MIC浓度均为8 μg/mL。L.delbrueckii与L.fermentum发酵上清液与氟康唑联用对3株耐药型白假丝酵母的生物膜形成与分散均未表现出协同作用,且发酵上清液与氟康唑联用效果不如发酵上清液单独处理效果好,L.fermentum发酵上清液对生物膜的分散作用较L.delbrueckii发酵上清液强。L.fermentum发酵上清液抑制白假丝酵母的初始黏附。 结论 L.delbrueckii、L.fermentum发酵上清液单独应用时均对耐氟康唑白假丝酵母生物膜的形成与分散有干预作用,与氟康唑联用时未表现出协同作用,抑制耐药白假丝酵母生物膜的作用可能与抑制菌丝形成和起始黏附有关。     

白色念珠菌氟康唑耐药相关基因的差异显示研究

采用差异显示PCR技术 (DifferentialDisplay PCR ,DD PCR)寻找白色念珠菌的氟康唑耐药相关基因。体外用含氟康唑的酵母培养基 (YEPD)诱导培养临床白色念珠菌氟康唑敏感株 4 35 (对咪康唑耐药 ) ,诱导 80d后得到氟康唑耐药子代 4 35 2 (MIC =1 2 8μg mL)。DD PCR比较 4 35 2、4 35分别在含氟康唑、不含药的YEPD液基中的基因表达 ,找到 3个明显差异片段 ,分别与数据库中白色念珠菌的醇脱氢酶基因ADH1、多药耐药基因CDR1及拓扑异构酶基因TOP2有高度同源性。半定量RT PCR中证实了ADH1、CDR1在氟康唑耐药株中的差异表达 ;对已知氟康唑耐药基因MDR1作半定量RT PCR时发现MDR1在氟康唑耐药株 4 35 2中无表达 ,而在氟康唑敏感株 4 35中有表达。结果表明 ,ADH1、CDR1基因的高表达与白色念珠菌氟康唑耐药性形成相关 ,ADH1可能是新的耐药基因 ;MDR1的表达可能在氟康唑敏感株或其它唑类耐药株中也存在     

Interspecific hybridisation between Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis

Abstract Protoplasts from auxotrophic mutants of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were produced by snail enzyme treatment and their fusion was induced with polyethylene glycol (PEG). During selective regeneration, nutritionally complemented interspecific hybrids were obtained. Their cells contained one nucleus, and the DNA content per cell was higher than in the parents. The isoenzymic and sugar assimilation patterns of the mutants, and those of the hybrids and the products after their haploidisation, were also analysed. The results indicated that the hybrids were partial alloploids containing the total chromosomal set of either of the parental species and one or a few chromosomes of the other.     

ZEBRA cell‐penetrating peptide as an efficient delivery system in Candida albicans

There is increasing interest in drug delivery systems, such as nanoparticles, liposomes, and cell‐penetrating peptides, for the development of new antimicrobial treatments. In this study, we investigated the transduction capacity of a carrier peptide derived from the Epstein–Barr virus ZEBRA protein in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. ZEBRA‐minimal domain (MD) was able to cross the cell wall and cell membrane, delivering eGFP to the cytoplasm. Uptake into up to 70% of the cells was observed within two hours, without toxicity. This new delivery system could be used in C. albicans as a carrier for different biological molecules including peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids. Thereby, in antifungal therapy, MD may carry promising bioactive fungal inhibitors that otherwise penetrate poorly into the cells. Furthermore, MD will be of interest for deciphering molecular pathways involving cell‐cycle control in yeast or signaling pathways. Short interfering peptides could be internalized using MD, providing new tools for the inhibition of metabolic or signaling cascades essential for the growth and virulence of C. albicans, such as yeast‐to‐hyphae transition, cell wall remodeling, stress signaling and antifungal resistance. These findings create new possibilities for the internalization of cargo molecules, with applications for both treatment and functional analyses.     

土槿乙酸对白假丝酵母菌生物膜的抑制作用

目的 探讨土槿乙酸（pseudolaric acid B,PAB）对体外白假丝酵母菌生物膜的影响。方法 甲基四氮盐（XTT）法检测不同浓度PAB和AMB（两性霉素B）对白假丝酵母菌生物膜的抑制作用。血清芽管试验检测不同浓度PAB对芽管生成的影响。结果 PAB对白假丝酵母菌生物膜的SMIC50（抑制生物膜50%的药物浓度）为256~512 μg/mL;1024和512 μg/mL PAB对早期2 h生物膜的抑制率分别为（99.5±0.28）%和（97.1±0.38）%;512 μg/mL PAB对早期（2 h）、中期（8 h）及成熟期（24 h）生物膜的抑制率分别为（97.1±0.38）%、（90.4±0.32）%和（80.1±0.67）%;不同浓度PAB的血清芽管试验显示,64 μg/mL PAB可以完全抑制白假丝酵母菌的出芽生长,16 μg/mL PAB可以抑制83.5%的白假丝酵母菌出芽生长。结论 PAB对体外白假丝酵母菌生物膜有抑制作用,对白假丝酵母菌的出芽生长过程抑制作用显著。     

Binding,internalisation and degradation of histatin 3 in histatin-resistant derivatives of Candida albicans

The antifungal mechanism of salivary histatin has been studied in Candida albicans and involves binding to a specific receptor, translocation across the membrane and targeting intracellularly. Cell death correlates with non-lytic release of ATP that may function as a cytotoxic mediator extracellularly. By sequential exposure to increasing concentrations of histatin 3, we generated histatin-resistant derivatives of C. albicans strain CA132A that show five-fold less killing at physiological concentrations of histatin 3. Protection against histatin killing in histatin-resistant derivatives is not due to alterations in binding, internalisation or degradation of histatin or efflux of ATP. These results indicate that protective mechanisms activated by exposure to histatin 3 may involve unidentified pathways downstream of binding and internalisation events.     

Effect of iron on fluconazole activity against Candida albicans in presence of human serum or monocyte-derived macrophages

Human serum, transferrin, and apotransferrin are known to profoundly inhibit the growth of Candida albicans by iron deprivation. On the other hand, iron overload (iron saturated transferrin) is a serious risk factor for candidiasis in newborn and in leukemic patients. We tested the efficacy of fluconazole and the previously demonstrated synergy of fluconazole and effector cells against C. albicans under iron overload conditions where efficacy might be diminished. We confirm that exogenous iron completely reversed the inhibitory effect of human serum and report that the efficacy of fluconazole against C. albicans was not significantly compromised in a 24 h assay system. Although exogenous iron inhibited fungistatic activity of monocyte-derived macrophages, it did not interfere with the synergistic candidacidal activity of fluconazole and monocyte-derived macrophages. In 72 h assays, where fluconazole had candidacidal activity, exogenous iron did not compromise efficacy of fluconazole, and fluconazole activity was often increased. These in vitro results suggest that effectiveness of fluconazole therapy would not be compromised in iron overload situations in vivo. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Lithium-mediated suppression of morphogenesis and growth in Candida albicans

Hyphal development in Candida albicans contributes to virulence, and inhibition of filamentation is a target for the development of antifungal agents. Lithium is known to impair Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth in galactose-containing media by inhibition of phosphoglucomutase, which is essential for galactose metabolism. Lithium-mediated phosphoglucomutase inhibition is reverted by Mg(2+). In this study we have assessed the effect of lithium upon C. albicans and found that growth is inhibited preferentially in galactose-containing media. No accumulation of glucose-1-phosphate or galactose-1-phosphate was detected when yeasts were grown in the presence of galactose and 15 mM LiCl, though we observed that in vitro lithium-mediated phosphoglucomutase inhibition takes place with an IC(50) of 2 mM. Furthermore, growth inhibition by lithium was not reverted by Mg(2+). These results show that lithium-mediated inhibition of growth in a galactose-containing medium is not due to inhibition of galactose conversion to glucose-6-phosphate but is probably due to inhibition of a signaling pathway. Deletion of the Ser-Thr protein phosphatase SIT4 and treatment with rapamycin have been shown to inhibit filamentous differentiation. We observed that C. albicans filamentation was inhibited by lithium in solid medium containing either galactose as the sole carbon source or 10% fetal bovine serum. These results suggest that suppression of hyphal outgrowth by lithium could be related to inhibition of the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway.     

致念珠菌性包皮龟头炎白假丝酵母菌对9种抗真菌药物最低抑菌浓度测定

目的检测引起念珠菌性包皮龟头炎的白假丝酵母菌对9种抗真菌药物MIC,为临床治疗念珠菌性包皮龟头炎提供参考依据。方法常规培养分真菌,并鉴定到种,采用最低抑菌浓度法对白假丝酵母菌进行体外药物敏感试验。结果培养分离的12株菌中,白假丝酵母菌占75.00%,白假丝酵母菌生物变种占16.67%,近平滑假丝酵母菌占8.33%;11株白假丝酵母菌耐药率由高到低依次是氟康唑,伊曲康唑,咪康唑,酮康唑,克霉唑,益康唑,5-氟胞嘧啶啶,两性霉素B,制霉菌素,其中6种药物耐药率大于50%。结论白假丝酵母菌仍是造成念珠菌性包皮龟头炎最常见的致病菌,耐多药现象较为普遍,应根据临床实验室的体外药敏试验结果,指导临床合理用药。     

Azole sensitivity in Candida albicans

Abstract In the present study, we assessed the influence of three culture media on the susceptibility 'in vitro' of twenty four clinical strains belonging to Candida albicans against three imidazole-derivatives and also, we investigated the situation of azole sensitivity in three of these strains.     

Influence of fluconazole at subinhibitory concentrations on cell surface hydrophobicity and phagocytosis of Candida albicans

Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) status influences virulence of Candida albicans and decreases the susceptibility of yeast cells to phagocytic killing. We tested whether subinhibitory concentrations of fluconazole, which is widely used in the treatment and prophylaxis of candidiasis, affect CSH and the susceptibility of C. albicans to enzymatic digestion by glucanase and to phagocytic killing. Treatment of yeast cells with subinhibitory fluconazole concentrations resulted in greater phagocytosis. This effect was independent of CSH but may be related to increased cell wall porosity resulting from alterations in the cell envelope. The use of subinhibitory concentrations of fluconazole in patients with competent phagocytes may contribute to resistance to candidiasis regardless of yeast CSH status.     

Cleavage of human big endothelin-1 by Candida albicans aspartic proteinase

Abstract A Candida albicans aspartic proteinase (CAP), one of the secretory proteinases of Candida albicans , is thought to be a possible virulence factor in Candida albicans infection. Whereas endothelin-1 is found as an endothelium-derived strong vasoconstrictive peptide, it is known to have a role in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis and tissue survival. Endothelin-1 is generated from a precursor form of endothelin-1, the so-called big endothelin-1. It has recently been reported that cathepsin D, E and pepsin, which are aspartic proteinases, convert big endothelin-1 to endothelin-1. In this study, the relationship between CAP and big endothelin-1 was studied. High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that big endothelin-1 was cleaved into several amino acid sites by CAP, but endothelin-1 was not converted from big endothelin-1. CAP cleaved big endothelin-1 at different sites when compared with that of other known aspartic proteinases, and it suppressed endothelin-1 production through the degradation of big endothelin-1. CAP may break homeostatic mechanism of endothelin-1 in Candida albicans infectious lesion.     

白念珠菌V-ATPase研究进展

白念珠菌是临床最常见的条件致病真菌,V-ATPase是真核生物中高度保守的质子泵转运复合物,可以维持液泡和细胞质pH稳态.近年来,V-ATPase作为一个抗白念珠菌感染的潜在靶点为人们所关注,本文就V-ATPase抑制剂、相关的其他靶点及抑制剂筛选等方面的研究进展作一综述.     

Modulation of neutrophil function in host defense against disseminated Candida albicans infection in mice

Neutrophils (PMNs) constitute the main mechanism of host defense against acute invasive and disseminated candidiasis. Recent studies have demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) play an important role in the recruitment of PMNs at the site of invasive Candida infection. In the absence of either TNFalpha or IL-6, the course of experimental disseminated candidiasis is more severe, due to defective PMN recruitment. Treatment of mice with recombinant G-CSF (rG-CSF) leads to a significantly reduced mortality during disseminated candidiasis. The outgrowth of Candida albicans from the organs of rG-CSF-treated mice is significantly decreased. Treatment with the combination of rG-CSF and fluconazole has an additive effect on the reduction of fungal load in the organs. In subacute or chronic disseminated Candida infection, rG-CSF is less effective, indicating that neutrophil recruitment and activation are crucial in acute, life-threatening candidiasis, whereas other host defense mechanisms control the outcome of less overwhelming invasive Candida infection.     

间接免疫荧光法快速鉴别白念珠菌和都柏林念珠菌的初步研究

目的 用一种新制备的单克隆抗体MAb03．2Cl-C2鉴别生物学形态相近的白念珠菌和都柏林念珠菌。方法 用小鼠体内诱导法制备抗白念珠菌芽管胞壁外膜单克隆抗体MAb03．2Cl-C2。用不完全RPMI1640培养液、L—DMEM、H—DMEM、完全1640液、小牛血清诱导白念珠菌和都柏林念珠菌芽管及菌丝形成,间接免疫荧光（IIF）方法检测都柏林念珠菌芽管或菌丝表面有无可与该单抗相结合的成分。收集临床口腔念珠菌病标本涂片,直接做IIF试验。结果 用不完全RP-MI1640培养液37℃,6h可同时最高效率地诱导白念珠菌和都柏林念珠菌芽管或菌丝形成。单抗MAb03．2Cl-C2仅与白念珠菌芽管或菌丝特异性地结合,与都柏林念珠菌的孢子和菌丝不能结合。结论 单抗MAh03．2Cl-C2可用于白念珠菌和都柏林念珠菌实验室的速鉴别。     

Purification and germination of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis chlamydospores cultured in liquid media

Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are the only Candida sp. that have been observed to produce chlamydospores. The function of these large, thick-walled cells is currently unknown. In this report, we describe the production and purification of chlamydospores from these species in defined liquid media. Staining with the fluorescent dye FUN-1 indicated that chlamydospores are metabolically active cells, but that metabolic activity is undetectable in chlamydospores that are >30 days old. However, 5–15-day-old chlamydospores could be induced to produce daughter chlamydospores, blastospores, pseudohyphae and true hyphae depending on the incubation conditions used. Chlamydospores that were preinduced to germinate were also observed to escape from murine macrophages following phagocytosis, suggesting that these structures may be viable in vivo . Mycelium-attached and purified chlamydospores rapidly lost their viability in water and when subjected to dry stress, suggesting that they are unlikely to act as long-term storage structures. Instead, our data suggest that chlamydospores represent an alternative specialized form of growth by C. albicans and C. dubliniensis .