Silver nanoparticles: influence of stabilizing agent and diameter on antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata biofilms

Aim: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the size‐dependent antifungal activity of different silver nanoparticles (SN) colloidal suspensions against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata mature biofilms. Methods and Results: The research presented herein used SN of three different average sizes (5, 10 and 60 nm), which were synthesized by the reduction of silver nitrate through sodium citrate and which were stabilized with ammonia or polyvinylpyrrolidone. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays were performed using the microdilution methodology. The antibiofilm activity of SN was determined by total biomass quantification (by crystal violet staining) and colony forming units enumeration. MIC results showed that all SN colloidal suspensions were fungicidal against the tested strains at very low concentrations (0·4–3·3 μg ml^?1). With regard to biomass quantification, SN colloidal suspensions were very effective only against C. glabrata biofilms, achieving biomass reductions around 90% at a silver concentration of 108 μg ml^?1. In general, all SN suspensions promoted significant log₁₀ reduction of the mean number of cultivable biofilm cells after exposure to silver concentrations at or higher than 108 μg ml^?1. Moreover, the results showed that the particle size and the type of stabilizing agent used did not interfere in the antifungal activity of SN against Candida biofilms. Conclusions: This study suggests that SN have antifungal therapeutic potential, but further studies are still required namely regarding formulation and delivery means. Significance and Impact of the Study: SN may contribute to the development of new strategies for the improvement of oral health and quality of life particularly of the complete denture wearers.     

Silver colloidal nanoparticles: antifungal effect against adhered cells and biofilms of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticles (SN) against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata adhered cells and biofilms. SN (average diameter 5 nm) were synthesized by silver nitrate reduction with sodium citrate and stabilized with ammonia. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests were performed for C. albicans (n = 2) and C. glabrata (n = 2) grown in suspension following the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute microbroth dilution method. SN were applied to adhered cells (2 h) or biofilms (48 h) and after 24 h of contact their effect was assessed by enumeration of colony forming units (CFUs) and quantification of total biomass (by crystal violet staining). The MIC results showed that SN were fungicidal against all strains tested at very low concentrations (0.4-3.3 μg ml(-1)). Furthermore, SN were more effective in reducing biofilm biomass when applied to adhered cells (2 h) than to pre-formed biofilms (48 h), with the exception of C. glabrata ATCC, which in both cases showed a reduction ～90%. Regarding cell viability, SN were highly effective on adhered C. glabrata and respective biofilms. On C. albicans the effect was not so evident but there was also a reduction in the number of viable biofilm cells. In summary, SN may have the potential to be an effective alternative to conventional antifungal agents for future therapies in Candida-associated denture stomatitis.     

胶体纳米银对白假丝酵母菌的抑制作用

目的 探讨胶体纳米银对白假丝酵母菌的抑制作用。方法 以白假丝酵母菌为研究对象,采用倍比稀释及涂布法,检测胶体纳米银对白假丝酵母菌的抑制作用及影响因素。结果 化学纳米银及物理纳米银对白假丝酵母菌的最小抑菌浓度及最小杀菌浓度相同,分别为3.13 μg/mL和6.25 μg/mL。12.50 μg/mL的化学纳米银及物理纳米银可在5 min内完全杀死白假丝酵母菌。胶体纳米银的抑菌作用受到杀菌环境的影响,特别氯离子对胶体纳米银的杀菌作用有明显的影响。结论 胶体纳米银对白假丝酵母菌具有明显的抑菌作用,其抑制作用易受到氯离子及蛋白质的的影响。     

白念珠菌生物被膜基质研究进展

近年来,白念珠菌耐药性备受关注,其耐药机制之一是形成生物被膜(biofilm).生物被膜主要由大量菌细胞及其所分泌的细胞外多聚基质( matrix)将其包裹所构成,基质含有多糖、蛋白、核酸等成分,不仅参与生物被膜的结构组成,也与耐药性密切相关.本文综述了白念珠菌生物被膜基质的组成特点、功能、影响因素、基因调控和药物干预的最新进展,并展望其在生物被膜感染方面作为诊断标志及治疗靶点的潜在应用前景.     

A purine permease in Candida glabrata

Abstract Competition experiments revealed that adenine and guanine were transported by a purine permease in both Candida glabrata 4 and a C. glabrata 4 cytosine permease negative mutant. The C. glabrata 4 cytosine permease negative mutant was isolated using 5-fluorocytosine selection. This mutant no longer transported cytosine, but transported adenine and guanine. A transport system for hypoxanthine was not detected. Hence, in addition to the cytosine permease, a purine permease exists in C. glabrata . This differs from the purine cytosine permeases in Saccharomyces cereuisiae and Candida albicans which transport adenine, cytosine, guanine and hypoxanthine.     

穿心莲内酯体外抗白念珠菌生物膜作用的初步研究

目的研究穿心莲内酯对体外白念珠菌生物膜的影响。方法采用XTT减低法评价穿心莲内酯对白念珠菌生物膜及其黏附性的影响;镜下观察该药对白念珠菌生物膜的形态学影响;细胞毒性试验检测该药的毒副作用。结果穿心莲内酯对白念珠菌生物膜的SMIC50、SMIC80分别是250、1000μg/ml;1000μg/ml及100μg/ml时对白念珠菌的早期黏附及菌丝生长有抑制作用;对人细胞毒性较弱。结论穿心莲内酯对体外白念珠菌生物膜有显著的抑制作用。     

Candida glabrata and Candida albicans; dissimilar tissue tropism and infectivity in a gnotobiotic model of mucosal candidiasis

Germ-free transgenic epsilon 26 (Tgepsilon26) mice, deficient in both natural killer (NK)- and T-cells, were inoculated (orally) with each of two Candida glabrata (BG2 or BG1003) or Candida albicans (CAF2-1 or SC5314) strains. Candida glabrata- or C. albicans-colonized mice exhibited similar numbers of viable Candida in the alimentary tract. Neither C. glabrata nor C. albicans caused systemic candidiasis of endogenous (alimentary tract) origin. Candida albicans invaded oroesophageal (tongue, palate, esophagus) and keratinized gastric tissues, evoked hyperkeratosis and a prominent, chronic, granulocyte-dominated, inflammatory response in all infected tissues, stimulated the production of splenic granulocytes and was lethal for the mice within 3-5 weeks after oral colonization. The two C. glabrata strains colonized the alimentary tract and penetrated into the keratinized (cardia-antrum) gastric tissues, but in contrast to C. albicans, were unable to infect oroesophageal tissues. Furthermore, C. glabrata strains were not lethal for the Tgepsilon26 mice, and did not evoke an inflammatory response in colonized gastric tissues or stimulate the production of splenic granulocytes. This 'stealth-like' behavior could explain the ability of C. glabrata to persist in infected tissues and survive as a commensal in the alimentary tract.     

大蒜素体外抗白念珠菌生物膜作用的初步研究

目的研究大蒜素对体外白念珠菌生物膜的影响。方法 MTT法评价大蒜素对白念珠菌生物膜形成及细胞黏附的影响;血清芽管计数法评价大蒜素对白念珠菌芽管形成的影响。结果低浓度(4μg/mL)和高浓度(64μg/mL)大蒜素对白念珠菌生物膜形成的抑制率分别为(23.0±1.1)%和(95.6±0.3)%;32μg/mL大蒜素对早期(0h)、中期(12h)及成熟期(48h)生物膜的抑制率分别为(88.5±0.5)%、(63.3±0.8)%和(52.3±1.1)%;与空白对照组相比,不同浓度大蒜素(4～32μg/mL)对培养30min、60min、90min、120min的白念珠菌细胞黏附均有显著抑制作用(P0.05);空白对照组芽管形成率为(91.2±1.6)%,64μg/mL大蒜素组为(2.2±1.2)%。结论大蒜素对体外白念珠菌生物膜有较明显的抑制作用。     

Molecular epidemiology of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata strains isolated from intensive care unit patients in Poland

Over the last decades, Candida spp have been responsible for anincreasing number of infections, especially in patients requiring intensive care.Knowledge of local epidemiology and analysis of the spread of these pathogens isimportant in understanding and controlling their transmission. The aim of this studywas to evaluate the genetic diversity of 31 Candida albicans and17 Candida glabrata isolates recovered from intensive care unitpatients from the tertiary hospital in Krakow between 2011-2012. The strains weretyped by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymerase chain reaction using fiveprimers (CD16AS, HP1247, ERIC-2, OPE-3 and OPE-18). The results of the presentinvestigation revealed a high degree of genetic diversity among the isolates. Noclonal relationship was found among the C. albicans strains, whereastwo C. glabrata isolates were identical. The source ofCandida infection appeared to be mostly endogenous; however, the presenceof two clonal C. glabrata strains suggested the possibility ofcross-transmission of these pathogens. Our study confirmed the high discriminatorypower of the RAPD technique in the molecular typing of Candidaclinical isolates. This method may be applied to the evaluation of transmissionroutes of pathogenic fungi on a local level.     

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。     

In vitro evaluation of adherence of Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,and Streptococcus mutans to an acrylic resin modified by experimental coatings

This study evaluated the effect of experimental coatings, containing zwitterion or hydrophilic monomers, on the adherence of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Streptococcus mutans to an acrylic resin. Acrylic samples (smooth or rough surfaces) were left untreated (control) or coated with one of the following experimental coatings: 3-hydroxypropylmethacrylate (HP) or sulfobetaine methacrylate (S), at concentrations of 25, 30, or 35%. Half of the specimens were coated with saliva. The adhesion test was performed by incubating specimens in C. albicans, C. glabrata, and S. mutans suspensions at 37°C for 90?min. The number of adhered microorganisms was determined by metabolic activity (XTT) and by cell viability (CFU). All coated specimens exhibited lower absorbance and CFU values compared to control specimens. Saliva and roughness did not promote microorganism adherence. An XPS analysis confirmed the modification in the chemical composition of the coatings in the experimental samples. These experimental coatings significantly reduced the adherence of C. albicans, C. glabrata and S. mutans to acrylic resin.     

大黄酚体外抗白念珠菌生物膜作用的研究

目的研究大黄酚对体外白念珠菌生物膜的影响。方法采用XTT减低法评价大黄酚对白念珠菌的生物膜及黏附性的影响;镜下观察该药对白念珠菌生物膜的形态学影响;细胞毒试验检测该药的毒副作用。结果大黄酚对白念珠菌生物膜的SMIC50、SMIC80分别为125、1000μg/ml;100μg／ml及1000μg/ml含量浓度的大黄酚对自念珠菌的早期黏附及菌丝生长有抑制作用;大黄酚对人细胞毒性较弱。结论大黄酚对体外白念珠菌生物膜有较强的抑制作用。     

Effects of fluconazole on Candida glabrata biofilms and its relationship with ABC transporter gene expression

Candida glabrata has emerged as the second most prevalent fungal pathogen and its ability to form biofilms has been considered one of the most important virulence factors, since biofilms present a high tolerance to antifungal agents used in fungal infection treatment. The mechanisms of biofilm tolerance to antifungal agents remain poorly understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fluconazole (FLU) on the formation and control of C. glabrata biofilms and its relation with the expression of genes encoding for ABC transporters, CDR1, SNQ2, and PDR1. For that, minimal inhibitory concentration values for seven C. glabrata strains were determined and the effect of FLU against C. glabrata biofilms was evaluated by total biomass quantification and viable cell enumeration. Matrices from biofilms were analyzed in terms of protein, carbohydrate and DNA content. ABC transporter gene expression was analyzed for quantitative real-time PCR. In addition to the high amounts of proteins and carbohydrates detected in the extracellular matrices in the presence of FLU, this work showed that the overexpression of efflux pumps is a possible mechanism of biofilm tolerance to FLU and this phenomenon alters the structure of C. glabrata biofilms by creating cell clusters.     

住院患者光滑念珠菌检出的回顾性分析

目的调查住院患者光滑念珠菌检出的特征。方法回顾性调查分析白求恩国际和平医院2008年1月～2009年4月住院患者中光滑念珠菌检出阳性者的临床资料,以同期白念珠菌检出患者为对照。结果其间共有52例详细病史资料记录的光滑念珠菌检出患者,以60岁以上老年人为主,占65.4%;主要分离自痰标本,占76.9%。患者患有多种基础疾病,以肺部感染(28例,53.8%)、恶性肿瘤(20例,38.5%)、脑梗死(15例,28.8%)常见。使用抗生素(52例,100%)、留置导尿管(15例,28.8%)是光滑念珠菌检出者的主要实施医疗措施。氟康唑是临床最常用的治疗光滑念珠菌感染药物(23例,44.2%)。光滑念珠菌检出患者死亡率高(14例,26.9%),高于同期白念珠菌检出对照组(6.2%,P=0.004)。结论光滑念珠菌检出患者与白念珠菌检出具有相似的临床流行病学特征。     

黄芩苷联合氟康唑对白念珠菌生物膜的抑制作用研究

目的：探讨中药有效成分黄芩苷（ baicalin,BA）联合氟康唑（ fluconazole,FLC）对白念珠菌（ Candida albicans,C． albicans）生物膜的抑制作用。方法通过棋盘法考察BA联合FLC对白念珠菌浮游菌与生物膜的部分抑菌浓度指数（ FI?CI）;通过时间?杀菌曲线检测两药联合对白念珠菌标准株（C．albicans SC5314）的杀菌作用;以XTT减低法和干重法检测两药联合对白念珠菌SC5314生物膜代谢及生物量的影响;采用扫描电镜（ Scanning electron microscopy,SEM）和激光共聚焦显微镜（ Confocal laser scanning microscopy,CLSM）观察两药联合对白念珠菌SC5314生物膜形态结构的影响;以水?烃法检测两药联合对白念珠菌SC5314生物膜细胞表面疏水性（ cell surface hydrophobicity,CSH）的影响;通过实时荧光定量PCR （ quan?titative real time PCR,qRT?PCR）检测两药联合对白念珠菌生物膜和CSH相关基因表达的影响。结果黄芩苷与氟康唑联用抗白念珠菌浮游菌的FICI介于0．28～0．75之间,对生物膜的FICI介于0．16～0．5之间,表现为协同作用;SEM和CLSM在生物膜结构上验证了两药的协同效果;两药联合可降低生物膜表面疏水性,以及使ALS1、ALS3、EAP1、SUN41和CSH1分别下调6％、51％、24％、13％和39％。结论黄芩苷具有协同氟康唑抗白念珠菌生物膜作用。     

Cross-kingdom interactions: Candida albicans and bacteria

Bacteria and fungi are found together in a myriad of environments and particularly in a biofilm, where adherent species interact through diverse signaling mechanisms. Yet, despite billions of years of coexistence, the area of research exploring fungal–bacterial interactions, particularly within the context of polymicrobial infections, is still in its infancy. However, reports describing a multitude of wide-ranging interactions between the fungal pathogen Candida albicans and various bacterial pathogens are on the rise. An example of a mutually beneficial interaction is coaggregation, a phenomenon that takes place in oral biofilms where the adhesion of C. albicans to oral bacteria is considered crucial for its colonization of the oral cavity. In contrast, the interaction between C. albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is described as being competitive and antagonistic in nature. Another intriguing interaction is that occurring between Staphylococcus aureus and C. albicans , which although not yet fully characterized, appears to be initially synergistic. These complex interactions between such diverse and important pathogens would have significant clinical implications if they occurred in an immunocompromised host. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of adhesion and signaling involved in fungal–bacterial interactions may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for impeding microbial colonization and development of polymicrobial disease.