scholarly journals Azole Antifungal Agents To Treat the Human Pathogens Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga through Inhibition of Sterol 14α-Demethylase (CYP51)

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 4707-4713 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Lamb ◽  
Andrew G. S. Warrilow ◽  
Nicola J. Rolley ◽  
Josie E. Parker ◽  
W. David Nes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Acanthamoeba Castellanii ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Effective Inhibitor ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Acanthamoeba Polyphaga ◽  
Binding Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inhibition Concentration

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigate the amebicidal activities of the pharmaceutical triazole CYP51 inhibitors fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole againstAcanthamoeba castellaniiandAcanthamoeba polyphagaand assess their potential as therapeutic agents againstAcanthamoebainfections in humans. Amebicidal activities of the triazoles were assessed byin vitrominimum inhibition concentration (MIC) determinations using trophozoites ofA. castellaniiandA. polyphaga. In addition, triazole effectiveness was assessed by ligand binding studies and inhibition of CYP51 activity of purifiedA. castellaniiCYP51 (AcCYP51) that was heterologously expressed inEscherichia coli. Itraconazole and voriconazole bound tightly to AcCYP51 (dissociation constant [Kd] of 10 and 13 nM), whereas fluconazole bound weakly (Kdof 2,137 nM). Both itraconazole and voriconazole were confirmed to be strong inhibitors of AcCYP51 activity (50% inhibitory concentrations [IC50] of 0.23 and 0.39 μM), whereas inhibition by fluconazole was weak (IC50, 30 μM). However, itraconazole was 8- to 16-fold less effective (MIC, 16 mg/liter) at inhibitingA. polyphagaandA. castellaniicell proliferation than voriconazole (MIC, 1 to 2 mg/liter), while fluconazole did not inhibitAcanthamoebacell division (MIC, >64 mg/liter)in vitro. Voriconazole was an effective inhibitor of trophozoite proliferation forA. castellaniiandA. polyphaga; therefore, it should be evaluated in trials versus itraconazole for controllingAcanthamoebainfections.

scholarly journals In VitroActivities of Hexaazatrinaphthylenes against Leishmania spp.

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 2867-2874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atteneri López-Arencibia ◽  
Daniel García-Velázquez ◽  
Carmen M. Martín-Navarro ◽  
Ines Sifaoui ◽  
María Reyes-Batlle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inhibition Effect ◽  
Intracellular Amastigotes ◽  
Dependent Inhibition ◽  
Leishmania Spp ◽  
Dose Dependent Inhibition ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Potential Use

ABSTRACTThein vitroactivity of a novel group of compounds, hexaazatrinaphthylene derivatives, against two species ofLeishmaniais described in this study. These compounds showed a significant dose-dependent inhibition effect on the proliferation of the parasites, with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) ranging from 1.23 to 25.05 μM against the promastigote stage and 0.5 to 0.7 μM against intracellular amastigotes. Also, a cytotoxicity assay was carried out to in order to evaluate the possible toxic effects of these compounds. Moreover, different assays were performed to determine the type of cell death induced after incubation with these compounds. The obtained results highlight the potential use of hexaazatrinaphthylene derivatives againstLeishmaniaspecies, and further studies should be undertaken to establish them as novel leishmanicidal therapeutic agents.

scholarly journals Evidence for Inhibition of Topoisomerase 1A by Gold(III) Macrocycles and Chelates TargetingMycobacterium tuberculosisandMycobacterium abscessus

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Gupta ◽  
Carolina Rodrigues Felix ◽  
Matthew P. Akerman ◽  
Kate J. Akerman ◽  
Cathryn A. Slabber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Abscessus ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Intrinsic Resistance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Scalable Synthesis ◽  
High Level ◽  
Novel Drug

ABSTRACTMycobacterium tuberculosisand the fast-growing speciesMycobacterium abscessusare two important human pathogens causing persistent pulmonary infections that are difficult to cure and require long treatment times. The emergence of drug-resistantM. tuberculosisstrains and the high level of intrinsic resistance ofM. abscessuscall for novel drug scaffolds that effectively target both pathogens. In this study, we evaluated the activity of bis(pyrrolide-imine) gold(III) macrocycles and chelates, originally designed as DNA intercalators capable of targeting human topoisomerase types I and II (Topo1 and Topo2), againstM. abscessusandM. tuberculosis. We identified a total of 5 noncytotoxic compounds active against both mycobacterial pathogens under replicatingin vitroconditions. We chose one of these hits, compound 14, for detailed analysis due to its potent bactericidal mode of inhibition and scalable synthesis. The clinical relevance of this compound was demonstrated by its ability to inhibit a panel of diverseM. tuberculosisandM. abscessusclinical isolates. Prompted by previous data suggesting that compound 14 may target topoisomerase/gyrase enzymes, we demonstrated that it lacked cross-resistance with fluoroquinolones, which target theM. tuberculosisgyrase.In vitroenzyme assays confirmed the potent activity of compound 14 against bacterial topoisomerase 1A (Topo1) enzymes but not gyrase. Novel scaffolds like compound 14 with potent, selective bactericidal activity againstM. tuberculosisandM. abscessusthat act on validated but underexploited targets like Topo1 represent a promising starting point for the development of novel therapeutics for infections by pathogenic mycobacteria.

scholarly journals Antifungal Activity of SCY-078 and Standard Antifungal Agents against 178 Clinical Isolates of Resistant and Susceptible Candida Species

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiley A. Schell ◽  
A. M. Jones ◽  
Katyna Borroto-Esoda ◽  
Barbara D. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Candida Glabrata ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Candida Parapsilosis ◽  
Candida Krusei ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clinical Resistance ◽  
Excellent Activity ◽  
Candida Lusitaniae

ABSTRACT SCY-078 in vitro activity was determined for 178 isolates of resistant or susceptible Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida lusitaniae, and Candida parapsilosis, including 44 Candida isolates with known genotypic (FKS1 or FKS2 mutations), phenotypic, or clinical resistance to echinocandins. Results were compared to those for anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin, fluconazole, and voriconazole. SCY-078 was shown to have excellent activity against both wild-type isolates and echinocandin- and azole-resistant isolates of Candida species.

scholarly journals Albumin Enhances Caspofungin Activity against Aspergillus Species by Facilitating Drug Delivery to Germinating Hyphae

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 1226-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Ioannou ◽  
Aggeliki Andrianaki ◽  
Tonia Akoumianaki ◽  
Irene Kyrmizi ◽  
Nathaniel Albert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Cell Culture ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type

The modestin vitroactivity of echinocandins againstAspergillusimplies that host-related factors augment the action of these antifungal agentsin vivo. We found that, in contrast to the other antifungal agents (voriconazole, amphotericin B) tested, caspofungin exhibited a profound increase in activity against variousAspergillusspecies under conditions of cell culture growth, as evidenced by a ≥4-fold decrease in minimum effective concentrations (MECs) (P= 0. 0005). Importantly, the enhanced activity of caspofungin againstAspergillusspp. under cell culture conditions was strictly dependent on serum albumin and was not observed with the other two echinocandins, micafungin and anidulafungin. Of interest, fluorescently labeled albumin bound preferentially on the surface of germinatingAspergillushyphae, and this interaction was further enhanced upon treatment with caspofungin. In addition, supplementation of cell culture medium with albumin resulted in a significant, 5-fold increase in association of fluorescently labeled caspofungin withAspergillushyphae (P< 0.0001). Collectively, we found a novel synergistic interaction between albumin and caspofungin, with albumin acting as a potential carrier molecule to facilitate antifungal drug delivery toAspergillushyphae.

scholarly journals Low In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Tavaborole against Yeasts and Molds from Onychomycosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Abastabar ◽  
Iman Haghani ◽  
Tahereh Shokohi ◽  
Mohammad Taghi Hedayati ◽  
Seyed Reza Aghili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fungal Isolates ◽  
Yeasts And Molds ◽  
Low Activity ◽  
In Vitro Antifungal Activity

ABSTRACT The in vitro activity of tavaborole, an FDA-approved antifungal drug, was compared to that of four antifungal agents against 170 clinical fungal isolates originating from patients with onychomycosis. Tavaborole had low activity against all isolates compared to itraconazole, terbinafine, and fluconazole, the principal choices for treatment of onychomycosis. Thus, it appears that tavaborole is not a candidate for the treatment of onychomycosis due to Candida species, Aspergillus species, and dermatophytes.

scholarly journals Acylhydrazones as Antifungal Agents Targeting the Synthesis of Fungal Sphingolipids

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Lazzarini ◽  
Krupanandan Haranahalli ◽  
Robert Rieger ◽  
Hari Krishna Ananthula ◽  
Pankaj B. Desai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Fungal Resistance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Properties ◽  
Pass Through

ABSTRACTThe incidence of invasive fungal infections has risen dramatically in recent decades. Current antifungal drugs are either toxic, likely to interact with other drugs, have a narrow spectrum of activity, or induce fungal resistance. Hence, there is a great need for new antifungals, possibly with novel mechanisms of action. Previously our group reported an acylhydrazone called BHBM that targeted the sphingolipid pathway and showed strong antifungal activity against several fungi. In this study, we screened 19 derivatives of BHBM. Three out of 19 derivatives were highly active againstCryptococcus neoformansin vitroand had low toxicity in mammalian cells. In particular, one of them, called D13, had a high selectivity index and showed better activity in an animal model of cryptococcosis, candidiasis, and pulmonary aspergillosis. D13 also displayed suitable pharmacokinetic properties and was able to pass through the blood-brain barrier. These results suggest that acylhydrazones are promising molecules for the research and development of new antifungal agents.

scholarly journals In Vitro Activity of Chlorhexidine Compared with Seven Antifungal Agents against 98 Fusarium Isolates Recovered from Fungal Keratitis Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudy Oliveira dos Santos ◽  
Eva Kolwijck ◽  
Henrich A. van der Lee ◽  
Marlou C. Tehupeiory-Kooreman ◽  
Abdullah M. S. Al-Hatmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Culture Collection ◽  
Fungal Keratitis ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Eye Drops ◽  
Fungal Culture ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Fungal keratitis is a common but severe eye infection in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. In regions with a temperate climate, the frequency of infection is rising in patients with contact lenses and following trauma. Early and adequate therapy is important to prevent disease progression and loss of vision. The management of Fusarium keratitis is complex, and the optimal treatment is not well defined. We investigated the in vitro activity of chlorhexidine and seven antifungal agents against a well-characterized collection of Fusarium isolates recovered from patients with Fusarium keratitis. The fungus culture collection of the Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ was searched for Fusarium isolates that were cultured from cornea scrapings, ocular biopsy specimens, eye swabs, and contact lens fluid containers from patients with suspected keratitis. The Fusarium isolates that were cultured from patients with confirmed keratitis were all identified using conventional and molecular techniques. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed according to the EUCAST broth microdilution reference method. The antifungal agents tested included amphotericin B, voriconazole, posaconazole, miconazole, natamycin, 5-fluorocytosine, and caspofungin. In addition, the activity of chlorhexidine was determined. The fungal culture collection contained 98 Fusarium isolates of confirmed fungal keratitis cases from 83 Dutch patients and 15 Tanzanian patients. The isolates were collected between 2007 and 2017. Fusarium oxysporum (n = 24, 24.5%) was the most frequently isolated species followed by Fusarium solani sensu stricto (n = 18, 18.4%) and Fusarium petroliphilum (n = 11, 11.2%). Amphotericin B showed the most favorable in vitro inhibition of Fusarium species followed by natamycin, voriconazole, and chlorhexidine, while 5-fluorocytosine, posaconazole, miconazole, and caspofungin showed no relevant inhibiting effect. However, chlorhexidine showed fungicidal activity against 90% of F. oxysporum strains and 100% of the F. solani strains. Our study supports the clinical efficacy of chlorhexidine and therefore warrants its further clinical evaluation for primary therapy of fungal keratitis, particularly in low and middle income countries where fungal keratitis is much more frequent and, currently, antifungal eye drops are often unavailable.

scholarly journals In Vitro Susceptibility of Thai Pythium insidiosum Isolates to Antibacterial Agents

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Navaporn Worasilchai ◽  
Ariya Chindamporn ◽  
Rongpong Plongla ◽  
Pattama Torvorapanit ◽  
Kasama Manothummetha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Agents ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Radical Surgery ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
In Vitro Susceptibility ◽  
Pythium Insidiosum ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Report Data

ABSTRACT Human pythiosis is a life-threatening human disease caused by Pythium insidiosum. In Thailand, vascular pythiosis is the most common form and carries a mortality rate of 10 to 40%, despite aggressive treatment with radical surgery, antifungal agents, and immunotherapy. Itraconazole and terbinafine have been the mainstay of treatment, until recently, based on case report data showing potential synergistic effects against Brazilian P. insidiosum isolates. However, the synergistic effects of itraconazole and terbinafine against Thai P. insidiosum isolates were not observed. This study tested the in vitro susceptibilities of 27 Thai human P. insidiosum isolates (clade II, n = 17; clade IV, n = 10), 12 Thai environmental P. insidiosum isolates (clade II, n = 4; clade IV, n = 8), and 11 non-Thai animal P. insidiosum isolates (clade I, n = 9; clade II, n = 2) to antibiotics in eight antibacterial classes to evaluate alternative effective treatments. Tetracycline and macrolide antibiotics demonstrated in vitro activity against Thai P. insidiosum isolates, with doxycycline MICs (1 to 16 μg/ml), minocycline MICs (1 to 4 μg/ml), tigecycline MICs (1 to 4 μg/ml), azithromycin MICs (1 to 16 μg/ml), and clarithromycin MICs (0.125 to 8 μg/ml) being the lowest, on average. Synergistic effects of tetracyclines and macrolides were also observed.

scholarly journals In Vitro Human Onychopharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analyses of ME1111, a New Topical Agent for Onychomycosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natsuki Kubota-Ishida ◽  
Naomi Takei-Masuda ◽  
Kaori Kaneda ◽  
Yu Nagira ◽  
Tsubasa Chikada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Agent ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Nail Plate ◽  
Free Drug ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clinical Dose ◽  
Drug Concentrations ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Human Nails

ABSTRACT ME1111 is a novel antifungal agent currently under clinical development as a topical onychomycosis treatment. A major challenge in the application of topical onychomycotics is penetration and dissemination of antifungal agent into the infected nail plate and bed. In this study, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters of ME1111 that potentially correlate with clinical efficacy were compared with those of marketed topical onychomycosis antifungal agents: efinaconazole, tavaborole, ciclopirox, and amorolfine. An ME1111 solution and other launched topical formulations were applied to an in vitro dose model for 14 days based on their clinical dose and administration. Drug concentrations in the deep layer of the nail and within the cotton pads beneath the nails were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Concentrations of ME1111 in the nail and cotton pads were much higher than those of efinaconazole, ciclopirox, and amorolfine. Free drug concentrations of ME1111 in deep nail layers and cotton pads were orders of magnitude higher than the MIC90 value against Trichophyton rubrum (n = 30). Unlike other drugs, the in vitro antifungal activity of ME1111 was not affected by 5% human keratin and under a mild acidic condition (pH 5.0). The in vitro antidermatophytic efficacy coefficients (ratio of free drug concentration to MIC90s against T. rubrum) of ME1111, as measured in deep nail layers, were significantly higher than those of efinaconazole, tavaborole, ciclopirox, and amorolfine (P < 0.05). This suggests that ME1111 has excellent permeation of human nails and, consequently, the potential to be an effective topical onychomycosis treatment.

scholarly journals Glutamate Racemase Is the Primary Target of β-Chloro-d-Alanine in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 6091-6099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth A. Prosser ◽  
Anne Rodenburg ◽  
Hania Khoury ◽  
Cesira de Chiara ◽  
Steve Howell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Intact Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis ◽  
Glutamate Racemase ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Effective Drugs

ABSTRACTThe increasing global prevalence of drug resistance among many leading human pathogens necessitates both the development of antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action and a better understanding of the physiological activities of preexisting clinically effective drugs. Inhibition of peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis and cross-linking has traditionally enjoyed immense success as an antibiotic target in multiple bacterial pathogens, except inMycobacterium tuberculosis, where it has so far been underexploited.d-Cycloserine, a clinically approved antituberculosis therapeutic, inhibits enzymes within thed-alanine subbranch of the PG-biosynthetic pathway and has been a focus in our laboratory for understanding peptidoglycan biosynthesis inhibition and for drug development in studies ofM. tuberculosis. During our studies on alternative inhibitors of thed-alanine pathway, we discovered that the canonical alanine racemase (Alr) inhibitor β-chloro–d-alanine (BCDA) is a very poor inhibitor of recombinantM. tuberculosisAlr, despite having potent antituberculosis activity. Through a combination of enzymology, microbiology, metabolomics, and proteomics, we show here that BCDA does not inhibit thed-alanine pathway in intact cells, consistent with its poorin vitroactivity, and that it is instead a mechanism-based inactivator of glutamate racemase (MurI), an upstream enzyme in the same early stage of PG biosynthesis. This is the first report to our knowledge of inhibition of MurI inM. tuberculosisand thus provides a valuable tool for studying this essential and enigmatic enzyme and a starting point for future MurI-targeted antibacterial development.

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