Antifungal Activity of Amphotericin B Conjugated to Nanosized Magnetite in the Treatment of Paracoccidioidomycosis

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016 Jun 15;10(6):e0004754. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004754. eCollection 2016 Jun.

Abstract

This study reports on in vitro and in vivo tests that sought to assess the antifungal activity of a newly developed magnetic carrier system comprising amphotericin B loaded onto the surface of pre-coated (with a double-layer of lauric acid) magnetite nanoparticles. The in vitro tests compared two drugs; i.e., this newly developed form and free amphotericin B. We found that this nanocomplex exhibited antifungal activity without cytotoxicity to human urinary cells and with low cytotoxicity to peritoneal macrophages. We also evaluated the efficacy of the nanocomplex in experimental paracoccidioidomycosis. BALB/c mice were intratracheally infected with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and treated with the compound for 30 or 60 days beginning the day after infection. The newly developed amphotericin B coupled with magnetic nanoparticles was effective against experimental paracoccidioidomycosis, and it did not induce clinical, biochemical or histopathological alterations. The nanocomplex also did not induce genotoxic effects in bone marrow cells. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that amphotericin B coupled to magnetic nanoparticles and stabilized with bilayer lauric acid is a promising nanotool for the treatment of the experimental paracoccidioidomycosis because it exhibited antifungal activity that was similar to that of free amphotericin B, did not induce adverse effects in therapeutic doses and allowed for a reduction in the number of applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alanine Transaminase / blood
  • Amphotericin B / chemistry
  • Amphotericin B / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Drug Carriers
  • Female
  • Ferrosoferric Oxide / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Paracoccidioides
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / drug therapy*
  • Urea / blood

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Drug Carriers
  • Amphotericin B
  • Urea
  • Creatinine
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases
  • Alanine Transaminase
  • Ferrosoferric Oxide

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa – CNPq; Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa do Distrito Federal – FAP-DF; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Nanobiotecnologia (MCTI). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.