Lycorine Hydrochloride Inhibits the Virulence Traits of Candida albicans

Biomed Res Int. 2019 Jun 3:2019:1851740. doi: 10.1155/2019/1851740. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

The human opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans causes a severe health burden while the biofilms formed by C. albicans present a kind of infections that are hard to cure, highlighting the pressing need for new antifungal drugs against C. albicans. This study was to explore the antifungal activities of lycorine hydrochloride (LH) against C. albicans. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of LH against C. albicans SC5314 was 64 μM. Below its MIC, LH demonstrated antivirulence property by suppressing adhesion, filamentation, biofilm formation, and development, as well as the production of extracellular phospholipase and exopolymeric substances (EPS). The cytotoxicity of LH against mammalian cells was low, with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) above 256 μM. Moreover, LH showed a synergistic effect with AmB, although its interaction with fluconazole, as well as caspofungin, was indifferent. Thus, our study reports the potential use of LH, alone or in combination with current antifungal drugs, to fight C. albicans infections.

MeSH terms

  • Adhesiveness / drug effects
  • Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids / chemistry
  • Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids / pharmacology*
  • Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids / toxicity
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / toxicity
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Candida albicans / drug effects
  • Candida albicans / pathogenicity*
  • Candida albicans / physiology
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • Extracellular Polymeric Substance Matrix / metabolism
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hyphae / drug effects
  • Phenanthridines / chemistry
  • Phenanthridines / pharmacology*
  • Phenanthridines / toxicity
  • Phospholipases / metabolism
  • Virulence / drug effects

Substances

  • Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Phenanthridines
  • Cyclic AMP
  • Phospholipases
  • lycorine