Abstract
Many studies have reported that hypocrellin A (HA) exhibits effective antimicrobial activities with proper irradiation. However, its antifungal activity and the involved mechanism have not been fully defined. In this study, HA-mediated cytotoxicity in Candida albicans cells was evaluated after antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). The results showed that 1.0 μg/ml HA significantly decreased the survival rate of C. albicans cells with light illumination. Moreover, the ROS levels were also remarkably elevated by HA. Further study found that HA combined with illumination led to cell membrane potential depolarization and cell membrane integrity damage. To investigate the form of cell death, a series of apoptosis-related parameters, including mitochondrial transmembrane potential, metacaspase activity, DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation, and cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium, were analyzed. Data showed that all the above mentioned apoptosis hallmarks were affected after treatment with HA, indicating that HA induced C. albicans cell apoptosis. Finally, HA-mediated aPDT was demonstrated to be low-toxic and effective in treating cutaneous C. albicans infections. This study highlights the antifungal effect and mechanism of HA-mediated aPDT against C. albicans and provides a promising photodynamic antifungal candidate for C. albicans skin infections.
Highlights
Candida albicans, as a kind of major opportunistic fungal pathogens, can cause both superficial and life-threatening infections in immunocompromised hosts
When illumination was employed for 30 min, the survival rate of the Hypocrellin A (HA)-treated C. albicans cells respectively decreased to 70.19 ± 4.87 and
The increasing emergence of antifungal resistance among Candida spp. leads to a growing interest in the antifungal effects of Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as a therapy for localized candidiasis, and many PSs-dependent aPDT was demonstrated to be effective against C. albicans
Summary
As a kind of major opportunistic fungal pathogens, can cause both superficial and life-threatening infections in immunocompromised hosts. Rarely life-threatening, these superficial fungal skin infections can cause debilitating effects on a person’s quality of life and may become invasive in some circumstances. Topical antifungal drugs, such as clotrimazole, are the most commonly utilized options for treating cutaneous C. albicans infections. The resistance of C. albicans to clotrimazole has been reported (Martel et al, 2010), and the incidence of resistance to antifungal drugs may be increasing (Fischer et al, 2010). It is imperative to explore alternative antifungal agents or strategies that are effective against C. albicans skin infections. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a recently developed therapeutic option, based on utilizing non-toxic photosensitizer (PS) and visible light to induce the production of reactive
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