Nystatin Research Articles

Sensitization of Candida albicans biofilms to various antifungal drugs by cyclosporine A

BackgroundBiofilms formed by Candida albicans are resistant towards most of the available antifungal drugs. Therefore, infections associated with Candida biofilms are considered as a threat to immunocompromised patients. Combinatorial drug therapy may be a good strategy to combat C. albicans biofilms.MethodsCombinations of five antifungal drugs- fluconazole (FLC), voriconazole (VOR), caspofungin (CSP), amphotericin B (AmB) and nystatin (NYT) with cyclosporine A (CSA) were tested in vitro against planktonic and biofilm growth of C. albicans. Standard broth micro dilution method was used to study planktonic growth, while biofilms were studied in an in vitro biofilm model. A chequerboard format was used to determine fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICI) of combination effects. Biofilm growth was analyzed using XTT-metabolic assay.ResultsMICs of various antifungal drugs for planktonic growth of C. albicans were lowered in combination with CSA by 2 to 16 fold. Activity against biofilm development with FIC indices of 0.26, 0.28, 0.31 and 0.25 indicated synergistic interactions between FLC-CSA, VOR-CSA, CSP-CSA and AmB-CSA, respectively. Increase in efficacy of the drugs FLC, VOR and CSP against mature biofilms after addition of 62.5 μg/ml of CSA was evident with FIC indices 0.06, 0.14 and 0.37, respectively.ConclusionsThe combinations with CSA resulted in increased susceptibility of biofilms to antifungal drugs. Combination of antifungal drugs with CSA would be an effective prophylactic and therapeutic strategy against biofilm associated C. albicans infections.

Comparison of Photodynamic Therapy versus conventional antifungal therapy for the treatment of denture stomatitis: a randomized clinical trial

In this randomized clinical trial, the clinical and mycological efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) was compared with that of topical antifungal therapy for the treatment of denture stomatitis (DS) and the prevalence of Candida species was identified. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n = 20 each); in the nystatin (NYT) group patients received topical treatment with nystatin (100 000 IU) four times daily for 15 days and in the PDT group the denture and palate of patients were sprayed with 500 mg/L of Photogem®, and after 30 min of incubation, were illuminated by light emitting-diode light at 455 nm (37.5 and 122 J/cm2, respectively) three times a week for 15 days. Mycological cultures taken from dentures and palates and standard photographs of the palates were taken at baseline (day 0), at the end of the treatment (day 15) and at the follow-up time intervals (days 30, 60 and 90). Colonies were quantified (CFU/mL) and identified by biochemical tests. Data were analysed by Fisher's exact test, analysis of variance and Tukey tests and κ test (α = 0.05). Both treatments significantly reduced the CFU/mL at the end of the treatments and on day 30 of the follow-up period (p <0.05). The NYT and PDT groups showed clinical success rates of 53% and 45%, respectively. Candida albicans was the most prevalent species identified. PDT was as effective as topical nystatin in the treatment of DS.

HPLC and Chemometric Methods for the Simultaneous Determination of Miconazole Nitrate and Nystatin

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and chemometric methods were applied to the simultaneous determination of the two nonsteroidal antifungal drugs, miconazole (MIC) and nystatin (NYS). The applied chemometric techniques are multivariate methods including classical least squares, principal component regression and partial least squares methods. The ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra of the standard solutions of the training and validation sets in methanol are recorded in the range of 280-320 nm at 0.2-nm intervals. The HPLC method depends on reversed-phase separation using a C18 column. The mobile phase consists of a mixture of methanol-acetonitrile-ammonium acetate buffer (pH 6; 50 mM) (60:30:10 v/v/v). The UV detector was set at 230 nm. The developed methods were validated and successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of MIC and NYS in their tablets. The assay results obtained using the chemometric methods were statistically compared to those of the HPLC method and good agreement was observed.

Treatment of 80 neonatus with red buttocks by nystatin glycerine combined with Meibao moist unguentum for burning

Treatment of 80 neonatus with red buttocks by nystatin glycerine combined with Meibao moist unguentum for burning

The Sensibility to Antimycotics of Some Candida Spp. Strains Isolated from Humans and Animals

The researches were made during February – June 2011 within the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. A total number of 16 Candida spp. strains isolated from both healthy and diseased animals from different species and humans and 2 ATCC strains, were tested regarding the sensitivity to antimycotics such as: Nystatin, Fluorocytosine, Miconazole, Itraconazole, Amphotericin B and Ketoconazole. For the isolated strains from parrot faeces, Miconazole and Amphotericin B were the most efficient; for dog otitis - Miconazole; for mastitis cow milk - Nystatin; for human tonsillitis – Amphotericin B; for ATCC 90028 – Miconazole and for ATCC 10231 – Amphotericin B. Regarding overall sensibility Miconazole was the most efficient antimycotic for all the strains tested in this study.

The behavior of Candida spp. strains isolated from different animal species to antifungal drugs.

A total number of 28 Candida spp. strains isolated from: cow, man, dog and pigeon from a total of 29 samples processed during the years 2008-2011 in the Microbiology Laboratory of the FVM Cluj-Napoca were examined.Candida spp. strains isolated from dogs suffering from chronic otitis and pharyngeal exudates were sensitive to Ketoconazole, Miconazole and Nystatin. The dog with diffuse alopecia was observed resistance to miconazole.In humans, strains isolated from pharyngeal exudate were sensitive to Nystatin and Miconazole but resistant to Ketoconazole and Fluorocytosine, while in case of the strains isolated from cases of urinary infections antifungal sensitivity varied from case to case (case 1: Miconazole, Nystatin, Ketoconazole, Itraconazole = sensitive, Cotrimoxazole = resistant; case 2: Nystatin = sensitive, ketoconazole, Miconazole, Itraconazole and Cotrimoxazole = resistant.In case of Candida spp. chronic mastitis, sensitivity of the strains was variable from an outbreak of disease to another, in some outbreaks isolates were only sensitive to Nystatin but resistant to Miconazole, Cotrimoxazole, Fluorocytosine, Ketoconazole and Itraconazole, while the others were only sensitive to Miconazole and in others to both. In all cases studied the resistance to Cotrimoxazole, Fluorocytosine, Ketoconazole and Itraconazole was mantained.

Antibacterial and antifungal potential of leaves and twigs of Viscum album L.

The leaves and twigs of Viscum album L. (Family: Loranthaceae) were extracted successively with various organic solvents and water. These crude extracts were assessed for antimicrobial activities against three gram positive bacteria that is Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, five gram negative bacteria that is Escherichia coli,Bordetella bronchisiptica, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas syringae, one yeast that is Saccharomyces cerevisiae and one filamentous fungusAspergillus flavus by using disc diffusion method. The ethyl acetate, chloroform, ethanol, and methanol crude extracts of selected plant parts had significant antimicrobial activities on both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The ethyl acetate and methanol crude extracts of leaves and twigs of V. album exhibited prominent activities against gram positive and gram negative bacteria used in comparison to other extracts which had moderate activity against all the tested bacteria. The antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts of the selected plant parts were more active against gram negative bacteria than gram positive bacteria. The standard reference antibiotics, ciprofloxacin (100 um/ml) and nystatin (1500 u/ml) were used as positive control. Key words: Antibacterial, antifungal, disc diffusion, Viscum album, ciprofloxacin, nystatin.

AKTIVITAS ANTIFUNGAL MINYAK ATSIRI JINTEN PUTIH TERHADAP Candida parapsilosis SS25, C. orthopsilosis NN14, C. metapsilosis MP27, DAN C. etchellsii MP18

MP27, and C. etchellsii MP18. Many kinds of spices are used in Indonesia, one of them is white cumin seed. This spice is used not only for cooking, but also for traditional medicine. This study reported of antifungal activity from white cumin’s essential oil. Extraction and identification of Cumin oil were carried out. We obtained 2.5-3.0% of white essential oil which was colorless or light yellow color. GCMS analysis revealed that there were 12 peaks. Based on peak’s intensity the oil were dominated by 4 compound i.e. cuminaldehide (35.44%), ρ-cymene (34.77%), β-pynene (15.08 %) and γ-terpinene (8.15%). Growth inhibition zone determination has been carried out by diffusion disc and direct method against yeast i.e. C. parapsilosis SS25, C. orthopsilosis NN14, C. metapsilosis MP27, and C. etchellsii MP18. The results showed that all of the yeasts were sensitive to cumin oil. The inhibition zone radius were 13.4-16.5 mm. The cumin oil showed the inhibition of yeast growth with MIC values of 0.028%-0.042% and MFC values 0.09%- 0.14%, while nystatin had MIC values 0.40%-0.50% and MFC values 3.0%-4.0%. The activity of cumin oil was very strong as antifungal. Keywords: antifungal, Candida, cumin oil, Cuminum cyminum, nystatin

Novel polyene from Vernonia urticifolia (Asteraceae)

Phytochemical investigation of Vernonia urticifolia resulted in isolation of urticifolene, a new polyene metabolite together with lutein and sitosterol, which were fully characterized using NMR spectroscopy with the application of correlation spectroscopy (COSY), Nuclear overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY), heteronuclear multiple bond spectroscopy (HMBC) and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC). The biological assay determination showed that Lutein inhibited the growth of Enterococcus faecium at low concentration (MIC) of 8 μgmL-1, while urticifolene inhibited the growth ofEnterococcus faecium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at low concentration (MIC) of 16 and 32 μgmL-1, respectively. In contrast to the related polyenes, nystatin and amphotericin B, which exhibit no antibacterial activity, urticifolene exhibited inhibitory property against all the bacteria investigated. Key words: Urticifolene, lutein, antibacterial activity, Vernonia urticifolia, Asteraceae.

Activity of an Intralipid formulation of nystatin in murine systemic candidiasis

Since nystatin (NYT) is used only topically owing to its toxicity upon systemic administration, a study was initiated aiming to develop a formulation of NYT that could be used systemically against invasive mycoses. The present research is a continuation of previous in vitro investigation of the antifungal effect of nystatin–Intralipid (NYT-IL) against Candida, exploring its in vivo activity. NYT-IL was tested in murine systemic candidiasis induced in naïve as well as cyclophosphamide-immunosuppressed female ICR mice. The infection was assessed by survival rate (SR), mean survival time (MST) and qualitative and quantitative fungal organ colonisation. Mice were treated by intravenous administration of various doses of NYT-IL for 5 consecutive days starting either 24h or 48h after the initiation of infection. The experiments showed that NYT-IL is therapeutically effective in the murine candidiasis model. NYT-IL was found to be less toxic in vivo than NYT and therefore higher doses of NYT-IL could be used. The efficacy of NYT-IL was expressed in treated naïve and immunosuppressed mice by increased SR, prolonged MST and reduced fungal organ colonisation. Early initiation of treatment increased efficacy. In summary, the Intralipid formulation of NYT can be administered parenterally and is effective against systemic experimental Candida infection.

Cisplatin enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells through clustering death receptor 4 into lipid rafts

Gastric cancer cells are insensitive to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). To sensitize gastric cancer cells to TRAIL, we treated gastric cancer MGC803 cells with TRAIL and cisplatin. Cell proliferation was measured using MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Expression of proteins was analyzed by Western blot. The distribution of lipid rafts and death receptors was analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. MGC803 cells were pretreated with 50 mg/L nystatin for 1 h, and followed by the treatment of cisplatin and TRAIL. 100 µg/L TRAIL resulted in (8.51 ± 3.45)% inhibition of cell proliferation and caused (3.26 ± 0.89)% cell apoptosis in MGC803 cells. Compared with the treatment with cisplatin alone, treatment with TRAIL (100 µg/L) and cisplatin (8.49 mg/L, IC(50) dose of 24 h) led to a dramatic increase in both inhibition of cell proliferation [(52.58 ± 4.57)% vs. (76.43 ± 5.35)%, P < 0.05] and cell apoptosis [(23.10 ± 3.41)% vs. (42.56 ± 4.11)%, P < 0.05]. Moreover, cleavage of caspase-8 and caspase-3 was detected. TRAIL (100 µg/L) did not induce obvious lipid rafts aggregation and death receptor 4 (DR4) clustering, while cisplatin (8.49 mg/L) significantly promoted the localization of DR4 in aggregated lipid rafts. Pretreatment with 50 mg/L nystatin, a cholesterol-sequestering agent, triggered (3.66 ± 0.52)% cell apoptosis after 24 h. Pretreatment with nystatin for 1 h before the addition of 8.49 mg/L cisplatin for 24 h caused a decreased tendency to cell apoptosis [(25.74 ± 3.28)% vs. (22.76 ± 2.97)%]. While, pretreatment with nystatin before the addition of cisplatin and TRAIL, the proportion of apoptotic cells decreased from (43.16 ± 4.26)% to (31.52 ± 3.99)% (P < 0.05). Cisplatin enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer MGC803 cells through clustering death receptors into lipid rafts.

Niosomes as a potential drug delivery system for increasing the efficacy and safety of nystatin

Nonionic surfactant (NIS) vesicles (niosomes) formed from self-assembly of hydrated synthetic NIS monomers are capable of entrapping a variety of drugs and have been evaluated as an alternative to liposomes. Nystatin (NYS) is a polyene antifungal drug that has been used in the treatment of cutaneous, vaginal and oral fungal infections since the 1950s. The aim of this work is to encapsulate NYS in niosomes to obtain a safe and effective formula administered parenterally for neutropenic patients. NYS niosomes were prepared by the thin-film hydration method using Span 60 or Span 40 and cholesterol (CHOL). Stearylamine and dicetyl phosphate were added as the positive and negative charge-inducing agents (CIA), respectively. Two molar ratios were used, namely NIS/CHOL/CIA (1:1:0.1 and 2:1:0.25). Neutral and positively charged niosomes gave the highest encapsulation efficiencies. NYS niosomes were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic light scattering. The release of neutral and negatively charged NYS niosomes was estimated, and it showed a slow sustained release profile. A 25-kGy γ-irradiation dose was sufficient to sterilize the investigated vesicles. NYS niosomes exerted less nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in vivo, showed higher level of drug in vital organs and revealed pronounced efficacy in elimination of the fungal burden in experimental animals infected with Candida albicans compared with those treated with free NYS. Niosomal encapsulation thus provided means for parenteral administration of NYS, reducing its toxicity and making it a more active antifungal agent.

A Challenge for Clinical Laboratories: Detection of Antifungal Resistance inCandidaSpecies Causing Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Background: To determine the in vitro susceptibility of vaginal yeasts against 7 antifungals by using 2 different methods and to evaluate if there is a possibility to use diskdiffusion (DD) method in the daily routine. Methods: Eighty-eight vaginal yeasts were tested against 5 antifungal azoles and 2 polyenes, according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) documents DD (M44-A) and broth microdilution (MD) (M27-A3). Results: Resistance was recorded for ketoconazole (KETO), itraconazole (ITR), micoconazole amphotericin B (AMB), and nystatin (NYS). Between DD and MD, higher rates of agreement were observed for AmB (98.9%), voriconazole (VOR) (84.1%), and NYS (77.3%). For the other antifungals, the agreement varied from 34.1% (KETO) to 71.0% fluconazole (FLU). Conclusion: While the DD method may be a useful tool to determine the antifungal susceptibility profile in clinical laboratories in the future, it still requires improvements in its standardization since it was not reliable in detecting resistance in vitro.

Phytochemical and antimicrobial studies on Detarium microcarpum Guill and Sperr (Caesalpinioceae) seeds coat

Ninety percent aqueous methanol extract of the seeds coat (32.324%, w/w) ofDetarium microcarpum was screened against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Klebsiellapneumonia, Salmonella paratyphi and Candida albicans. A broad spectrum antimicrobial activity at the test concentration of 10 mg/ml comparable with the control drugs chloramphenicol and penicillin G for bacteria and nystatin for the mould C. albicans was observed. On bio-guided fractionation, the ethyl acetate soluble fraction (ES) retains the observed spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Preparative thin layer chromatographic separation of the active ESF on silica gel 60G using butan-2-one : chloroform : acetic acid : water (40:40:2:1 v/v/v/v) gave eight constituent bands: B1 (Rf = 0.000), B2 (Rf = 0.079), B3 (Rf = 0.250), B4 (Rf = 0.286), B5 (Rf = 0.500), B6 (Rf = 0.686), B7 (Rf = 0.814), and B8 (Rf = 1.000). B1 retained the observed antimicrobial activity spectrum, B2 and B3 showed residual inhibition against B. subtilis and B4 - B8 were inactive. Phytochemical screening indicated the presence steroidal saponins and flavonoids in B1, and flavonoids in B2 and B3. The UV-visible spectrum of B2 and B3 revealed the characteristic benzopyrone maxima (236 – 300 nm). Against the selected bacteria, MIC range of B1 of 1.0488 -2.8887 mg/ml was observed comparable to those of standard control (1.2357 - 3.3420 mg/ml) and chloramphenicol (2.0840 -3.9630 mg/ml) which is suggestive of resistant strains. This study revealed the antimicrobial principles in the seed coat of D. microcarpum to be steroidal saponins and flavonoids with the possibility of synergistic action. Key words: Detarium microcarpum, seed coat, antimicrobial activity, benzopyrone, flavonoids, steroidal saponins, phytoalexins.

Antifungal effects of Ellagitannin isolated from leaves of Ocotea odorifera (Lauraceae)

Ocotea odorifera is a medicinal plant that is popularly known in Brazil as "canela-sassafrás" and is used to treat dermatosis. This study investigated the antifungal properties of O. odorifera. The methanol extract of O. odorifera was submitted to successive chromatographic separation and yielded Tellimagrandin II (TEL). Candida parapsilosis strain ATCC 22019 was used to determine the minimum inhibitory (MIC) and fungicidal concentrations, and to study the synergistic action with nystatin (NYS), amphotericin (AMP), and fluconazole (FLU). After treatment, the morphology of the yeast was analysed by scanning electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity was assessed in Vero cells, and genotoxicity by the micronucleus test. The TEL structure was proposed based on NMR and comparison with literature data and ESI-MSMS analysis. The compound showed potent inhibitory activity against C. parapsilosis, with a MIC of 1.6 μM. TEL acted synergistically with NYS, AMP, and FLU, and caused morphological alterations in the yeast cells. The methanolic extract showed low cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, and was not mutagenic in mice (P < 0.05). The use of O. odorifera in traditional medicine seems to have a valid basis, in view of the antifungal activity of TEL demonstrated in this study, and may contribute to potential drug development.

Antifungal activity of miconazole against recent Candida strains

Miconazole (MICON) has long been used for the topical treatment of mucosal candidiasis. However, the preponderance of MICON susceptibility data was generated before standard methodology was established, and prior to the emergence of fluconazole (FLU)-resistant strains. The objective of this study was to determine the antifungal activity of MICON and comparators against recent clinical isolates of Candida spp. using standard Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methodology. One hundred and fifty isolates, consisting of 25 strains each of Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. dubliniensis, were tested. Of these, twenty-two strains were known to be FLU-resistant. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined for MICON, amphotericin B (AM), caspofungin (CAS), clotrimazole (CLOT), FLU, itraconazole (ITRA), nystatin (NYS) and voriconazole (VOR). MICON demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against all of the strains tested. The MIC(90) for MICON was 0.12 microg ml(-1) against FLU-susceptible strains, which was comparable to that of AM, CAS, CLOT, ITRA and VOR. The MICON MIC(90) against FLU-resistant strains was 0.5 microg ml(-1), which was 12-fold lower than the FLU MIC(90). Our study showed that MICON possesses potent activity against all of the Candida isolates tested, including those with known FLU resistance. This indicates that recent clinical isolates remain susceptible to this antifungal and that MICON could be used as first-line treatment for oropharyngeal candidiasis.

Cutaneous infection caused by Trichosporon dermatis: first case report in China.

Objective To report a case of cutaneous infection due to Trichosporon dermatis. Methods Lesional discharge and tissue were obtained and subjected to microscopic examination, fungal culture and histopathology, respectively. The fungal isolate was then identified with DNA sequence analysis, API 20C AUX system, gelatin liquefaction test, thermal tolerance test. Antifungal susceptibility test was also performed for the fungus. Results A 70-year-old male presented with a 9-month history of ulcerated swelling of the right medial malleolus after plant puncture. Direct microscopic examination of lesional discharge showed no fungal elements, but histopathological biopsy revealed hyphae and spores in the dermis. Yellowish white yeast-like colony grew on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). Slide culture showed pseudohyphae, true hyphae, arthroconidia and blastoconidia. The isolate was identified as Candida humicola by API 20C AUX system, but as T. dermatis by DNA sequence analysis. The strain was unable to liquefy gelatin, could grow at 25 ℃ to 40 ℃, and was sensitive to amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole and nystatin. The skin lesion completely subsided after 4-month treatment with oral itraconazole. Conclusions The isolate is identified as T. dermatis according to morphological features and DNA sequence, which is sensitive to itraconazole. Key words: Piedra; Trichosporon; Itraconazole

The post-antifungal effect (PAFE) of amphotericin B, nystatin, ketoconazole and 5-fluorocytosine and its impact on the colonization traits ofCandida glabrata

The post-antifungal effect (PAFE) has been shown to affect Candida pathogenicity, but there is little information on either PAFE or its association with the colonization traits of Candida glabrata. The objective of this study was to determine, in vitro, the PAFE on 14 C. glabrata isolates following exposure to amphotericin B (AMB), nystatin (NYS), ketoconazole (KETO) and 5-fluorocytosine (5FC). In addition, we evaluated the impact of PAFE on yeast adherence to buccal epithelial cells (BEC), cell-surface-hydrophobicity (CSH) and biofilm growth (BG) on denture acrylic surfaces. PAFE was induced following a 1-h exposure of yeasts to (x1-x4MIC) of AMB, NYS, KETO and 5FC in RPMI medium and, measured using automated turbidometry. The BEC adhesion, CSH and BG assays were performed by the methods of Kimura & Pearsall, Sweet et al., and Jin et al., respectively. Significant differences in PAFE (P < 0.001) were observed after exposure to AMB and NYS, but not KETO and 5FC. Following exposure to AMB, NYS, KETO and 5FC, significant inter-strain differences (P < 0.001) were observed in percentage terms in adhesion (39.0%, 43.48%, 38.28%, 35.07%) and biofilm growth (42.86%, 39.86%, 42.81%, 36.38%), respectively. Short exposure of C. glabrata to sub-cidal concentrations of antifungals modulates yeast growth and also affects some of their colonization traits.

Synergistic anticandidal activity of pure polyphenol curcumin I in combination with azoles and polyenes generates reactive oxygen species leading to apoptosis

We have shown previously that pure polyphenol curcumin I (CUR-I) shows antifungal activity against Candida species. By employing the chequerboard method, filter disc and time-kill assays, in the present study we demonstrate that CUR-I at non-antifungal concentration interacts synergistically with azoles and polyenes. For this, pure polyphenol CUR-I was tested for synergy with five azole and two polyene drugs - fluconazole (FLC), miconazole, ketoconazole (KTC), itraconazole (ITR), voriconazole (VRC), nystatin (NYS) and amphotericin B (AMB) - against 21 clinical isolates of Candida albicans with reduced antifungal sensitivity, as well as a drug-sensitive laboratory strain. Notably, there was a 10-35-fold drop in the MIC(80) values of the drugs when CUR-I was used in combination with azoles and polyenes, with fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) values ranging between 0.09 and 0.5. Interestingly, the synergistic effect of CUR-I with FLC and AMB was associated with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which could be reversed by the addition of an antioxidant such as ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the combination of CUR-I and FLC/AMB triggered apoptosis that could also be reversed by ascorbic acid. We provide the first evidence that pure CUR-I in combination with azoles and polyenes represents a novel therapeutic strategy to improve the activity of common antifungals.

Clinical study on the treatment of acute radioactive stomatitis with Xiufu Decoction

Objective To explore the clinical effects of treating acute radioactive stomatitis with Xiufu Decoction by mouth-washing and oral-taking. Methods All 108 cancer patients were recruited into a treatment group (n=56) and a control group (n=52). The treatment group was treated with Xiufu Decoction for 15 days, and the control group was treated with Nystatin tabletsfor 15 days, 3 times/day. Results There was significant difference between the two groups in odynolysis time, the control of mycotic stomatitis, life condition, and overall effects (P<0.01 or P<0.05). All patients in the treatment group completed the whole course of radiotherapy; while 5 patients in the control group suspended the radiotherapy due to serious mouth ulcer. Conclusion Xiufu Decoction has the functions of enhancing immunity, fixing wound surface, relieving pain, improving diet and sleep, raising life quality, and safeguarding the process of radiation therapy, besides the decoction is safe and without toxic effect. Key words: Acute radioactive stomatitis; Xiufu Decoction; Mouth-washing and oral taking