In vitro effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on Cryptococcus gattii capsule and biofilm.

Infections caused by Cryptococcus gattii mainly affect immunocompetent individuals and the treatment presents important limitations. This study aimed to validate the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLH), and paroxetine hydrochloride (PAH) in vitro against C. gattii. The antifungal activity of SSRI using the microdilution method revealed a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 31.25 µg/ml. The combination of FLH or PAH with amphotericin B (AmB) was analyzed using the checkerboard assay and the synergistic effect of SSRI in combination with AmB was able to reduce the SSRI or AmB MIC values 4-8-fold. When examining the effect of SSRI on the induced capsules, we observed that FLH and PAH significantly decreased the size of C. gattii capsules. In addition, the effects of FLH and PAH were evaluated in biofilm biomass and viability. The SSRI were able to reduce biofilm biomass and biofilm viability. In conclusion, our results indicate the use of FLH and PAH exhibited in vitro anticryptococcal activity, representing a possible future alternative for the cryptococcosis treatment.

Farnesol as a potentiator of antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation on Enterococcus faecalis.

Enterococcus faecalis is related to the recurrence of endodontic infections and approaches to intracanal disinfection are necessary. Farnesol, an alcohol commonly found in propolis, has antimicrobial properties, and can enhance the efficacy of some antibiotic therapies. The objective was to evaluate whether farnesol can increase the efficacy of the antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) on E. faecalis, investigating its action on planktonic growth, biofilms, and cell permeability. Planktonic cells and biofilms of E. faecalis were pre-treated with farnesol (0.25 mM) 2 h before aPDI. Methylene blue (1 mg/mL) and laser (660 nm) were employed in the aPDI. As a result, farnesol was able to increase the antimicrobial activity of aPDI in both planktonic and biofilm stages, reaching cell reductions of 4.6 to 6 log10 CFU and 1.3 to 3 log10 CFU, respectively, when compared to aPDI isolated. The efficacy of farnesol in enhancing the anti-biofilm activity of aPDI was also confirmed by electron microscopy, in which a smaller number of bacterial cells and extracellular matrix were verified in the combined therapy compared to aPDI alone. The potentiating action of farnesol was associated with its effects in increasing the cell permeability and methylene blue uptake by the bacterial cells. Therefore, farnesol can be a promising potentiator of aPDI against E. faecalis.

Desenvolvimento de formulações probióticas de isolados clínicos de Lactobacillus spp. para controle de Candida albicans / Development of probiotic formulations of clinical isolates of Lactobacillus spp. for the control of Candida albicans

O uso de probióticos tem sido considerado uma alternativa para o controle das candidoses bucais, como a estomatite protética. Recentemente, nosso grupo de pesquisa isolou cepas clínicas bucais de Lactobacillus rhamnosus (5.2) e Lactobacillus fermentum (20.4) com atividade antifúngica contra Candida albicans. Entretanto, é necessário o desenvolvimento de formulações para uso clínico dessas cepas probióticas na cavidade bucal. Assim, o objetivo desse projeto foi desenvolver formulações probióticas em hidrogel gellan gum com atividade antifúngica que possam ser usadas no controle da estomatite protética. Para o preparo das formulações probióticas, as cepas L. rhamnosus 5.2 ou L. fermentum 20.4 foram incorporadas em formulações com diferentes concentrações de gellan gum (0,6 a 1%). A viabilidade das células de Lactobacillus nas formulações e o sistema de liberação foram testados em diferentes condições de armazenamento, incluindo tempo e temperaturas de estocagem. A seguir, os efeitos das formulações probióticas foram avaliados sobre C. albicans pelo método de difusão em ágar e sobre biofilmes microcosmos por contagem de células viáveis e análise de microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Os resultados demonstraram que todas as concentrações do gellan foram capazes de manter a viabilidade das células de L. rhamnosus e L. fermentum em torno de 5 a 7 log, durante 14 semanas, independentemente da temperatura de armazenamento (4°C ou temperatura ambiente). No teste de difusão em ágar, verificou-se que as formulações probióticas levaram à inibição de cepas padrão e clínicas de C. albicans, demonstrando que as cepas de Lactobacillus incorporadas no gellan mantiveram sua atividade antifúngica. As formulações probióticas também conseguiram inibir os biofilmes microcosmos provenientes de pacientes com estomatite protética, reduzindo o número de células viáveis de Candida e desestruturando a arquitetura dos biofilmes. Concluiu-se que o gellan gum mostrou ser um biomaterial promissor como carreador das cepas probióticas de L. rhamnosus 5.2 e L. fermentum 20.4. Além disso, as formulações probióticas desenvolvidas apresentaram ação antifúngica sobre células de C. albicans e biofilmes de estomatite protética, podendo desta forma atuar na prevenção da candidose bucal. (AU)

The use of probiotics has been considered an alternative for the control of oral candidiasis such as denture stomatitis. Recently, our research group isolated oral clinical strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (5.2) and Lactobacillus fermentum (20.4) with antifungal activity against Candida albicans. However, it is necessary to develop formulations for clinical use of these probiotic strains in the oral cavity. Thus, the purpose of this project was to develop probiotic formulations in gellan gum hydrogel with antifungal activity that could be used in the control of denture stomatitis. For the preparation of probiotic formulations, the strains L. rhamnosus 5.2 or L. fermentum 20.4 were incorporated into formulations with different concentrations of gellan gum (0.6 to 1%). The viability of Lactobacillus cells in the formulations and the delivery system were tested under different storage conditions, including storage time and temperatures. Next, the effects of the probiotic formulations were evaluated on C. albicans by the agar diffusion method and on microcosm biofilms by viable cell count and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results showed that all concentrations of gellan were able to maintain the viability of L. rhamnosus and L. fermentum cells around 5 to 7 log for 14 weeks, regardless of storage temperature (4°C or room temperature). In the agar diffusion test, it was found that the probiotic formulations led to the inhibition of standard and clinical strains of C. albicans, demonstrating that the Lactobacillus strains incorporated into gellan maintained their antifungal activity. Probiotic formulations were also able to inhibit microcosm biofilms from patients with denture stomatitis, reducing the number of viable Candida cells and disrupting the architecture of biofilms. As a conclusion, the gellan gum proved to be a promising biomaterial as a carrier of the probiotic strains of L. rhamnosus 5.2 and L. fermentum 20.4. In addition, the probiotic formulations developed showed antifungal action on C. albicans cells and denture stomatitis biofilms, thus being able to act in the prevention of oral candidiasis. (AU)

Antifungal and anti-biofilm effect of the calcium channel blocker verapamil on non-albicans Candida species.

Candida is a human fungal pathogen that causes a wide range of diseases. Candida albicans is the main etiologic agent in these diseases; however, infections can be caused by non-albicans Candida species. Virulence factors such as biofilm production, which protect the fungus from host immunity and anti-fungal drugs, are important for the infection. Therefore, available antifungal drugs for candidiasis treatment are limited and the investigation of new and effective drugs is needed. Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker with an inhibitory effect on hyphae development, adhesion, and colonization of C. albicans. In this study, we investigated the effect of verapamil on cell viability and its antifungal and anti-biofilm activity in non-albicans Candida species. Verapamil was not toxic to keratinocyte cells; moreover, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. glabrata were susceptible to verapamil with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1250 µM; in addition, this drug displayed fungistatic effect at the evaluated concentrations. After treatment with verapamil, reduced viability, biomass, and mitochondrial activity were observed in biofilms of the non-albicans Candida species C. krusei, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis. These findings highlight the importance of the study of verapamil as an alternative treatment for infections caused by non-albicans Candida species.

CaP Coating and Low-Level Laser Therapy to Stimulate Early Bone Formation and Improve Fixation of Rough Threaded Implants.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare in vivo osteogenesis on rough threaded dental implants with and without calcium phosphate (CaP) coating deposition, alone or in association with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) by gallium aluminum arsenide. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four groups were studied: G1: implant; G2: implant + CaP coating; G3: implant + LLLT; and G4: implant + CaP coating + LLLT. LLLT was applied for 7 days at the surgical site before and after placing the implant. Topographic characterization was performed before surgery using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectrophotometry. Bone-implant contact (BIC) was measured after 1, 2, and 6 weeks and reverse torque after 6 weeks. In short periods, G2, G3, and G4 showed significantly greater BIC than G1 (P < 0.05), but no difference in BIC was observed at 6 weeks. However, the values for the removal torque test at 6 weeks were higher in G2 and G4 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both CaP coating alone and using LLLT induce cellular stimulation and improve BIC in short-term healing, resulting in higher implant fixation, and should be considered in clinical practice due to their low cost and high effectiveness.

In vitro and in vivo biological performance of porous Ti alloys prepared by powder metallurgy.

Titanium (Ti) and Ti-6 Aluminium-4 Vanadium alloys are the most common materials in implants composition but ß type alloys are promising biomaterials because they present better mechanical properties. Besides the composition of biomaterial, many factors influence the performance of the biomaterial. For example, porous surface may modify the functional cellular response and accelerate osseointegration. This paper presents in vitro and in vivo evaluations of powder metallurgy-processed porous samples composed by different titanium alloys and pure Ti, aiming to show their potential for biomedical applications. The porous surfaces samples were produced with different designs to in vitro and in vivo tests. Samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and elastic modulus analyses. Osteogenic cells from newborn rat calvaria were plated on discs of different materials: G1-commercially pure Ti group (CpTi); G2-Ti-6Al-4V alloy; G3-Ti-13 Niobium-13 Zirconium alloy; G4-Ti-35 Niobium alloy; G5-Ti-35 Niobium-7 Zirconium-5 Tantalum alloy. Cell adhesion and viability, total protein content, alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralization nodules and gene expression (alkaline phosphatase, Runx-2, osteocalcin and osteopontin) were assessed. After 2 and 4 weeks of implantation in rabbit tibia, bone ingrowth was analyzed using micro-computed tomography (µCT). EDS analysis confirmed the material production of each group. Metallographic and SEM analysis revealed interconnected pores, with mean pore size of 99,5µm and mean porosity of 42%, without significant difference among the groups (p>0.05). The elastic modulus values did not exhibit difference among the groups (p>0.05). Experimental alloys demonstrated better results than CpTi and Ti-6Al-4V, in gene expression and cytokines analysis, especially in early experimental periods. In conclusion, our data suggests that the experimental alloys can be used for biomedical application since they contributed to excellent cellular behavior and osseointegration besides presenting lower elastic modulus.

Comparação in vivo da biocompatilidade de amostras com superfície porosa confeccionadas com diferentes ligas de titânio / In vivo comparison of biocompatibility of porous surface samples made with different titanium alloys

Atualmente, a implantodontia se concentra em estudos que direcionem e permitam a mais rápida osseointegração dos implantes cirúrgicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a resposta óssea frente às amostras de superfície porosa, confeccionadas com diferentes ligas de titânio que apresentam baixo módulo de elasticidade. Foram confeccionadas, por metalurgia do pó, 75 amostras, que foram divididas em 5 grupos: a) Grupo 1: controle - Ti comercialmente puro (Ticp); b) Grupo 2: liga titânio-6alumínio-4vanádio (Ti-6Al-4V); c) Grupo 3: liga titânio-13nióbio13-zircônio (Ti-13Nb-13Zr); d) Grupo 4: liga titânio-35nióbio (Ti-35Nb); e) Grupo 5: liga titânio-35nióbio-7zircônio-5tântalo (Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta). Cinco amostras de cada grupo foram submetidas à caracterização química e morfológica. Neste estudo foram utilizados quinze coelhos para avaliar e comparar a neoformação óssea nas amostras de superfície porosa, por meio de análise histológica e histomorfométrica. Cada coelho recebeu uma amostra de cada grupo, as amostras G1, G2, G3 foram inseridas na tíbia direita e G4, G5 na tíbia esquerda. Cinco coelhos, selecionados aleatoriamente, foram eutanasiados 2, 4 e 8 semanas após a cirurgia. Os resultados da caracterização morfológica confirmaram porosidade de 40% e através do MEV, as amostras revelaram superfície porosa com poros abertos e interconectados, integrada ao núcleo denso. Na análise por EDS foi observada a presença e o pico de cada elemento químico específico das ligas utilizadas. Nas análises, histológica e histomorfométrica, foi observada maior neoformação óssea nas ligas de titânio no período inicial, quando comparadas ao Ticp e Ti-6Al-4V. Conclui-se que as amostras confeccionadas com as ligas de titânio com baixo módulo de elasticidade, exercem melhor influência sobre os osteoblastos no período inicial favorecendo precocemente a osseointegração

Today, the implantology concentrates in studies that direct and enable a faster osseointegration of surgical implants. The purpose of this study was to compare the bone neoformations with porous surface samples, made of different titanium alloys with low elastic modulus. By means of powder metallurgy, 75 samples were made and split into five groups: a) Group 1: control - commercially pure titanium (cpTi); b) Group 2: titanium-6aluminium-4vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V) alloy; c) Group 3: Ti-13Nb-13Zr (titanium-niobium-zirconium) alloy; d) Group 4: titanium-35niobium (Ti-35Nb) alloy; e) Group 5: titanium-35niobium-7zirconium-5tantalum (Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta). Five samples of each group were submitted to chemical and morphological characterization. In this study fifteen rabbits were used to evaluate and to compare the bone neoformation obtained from the porous surface samples, by means of histological and histomorphometric analysis. Each rabbit received one sample from each group; the G1, G2, G3 samples were inserted into the right tibiae and the G4, G5 samples in the left tibiae. Five rabbits, randomly selected, were euthanized 2, 4 and 8 weeks after the surgery. The results of the morphological characterization of the samples confirmed 40% porosity, and through the scanning electron microscope (SEM) the samples showed the surface pores open and integrated with the dense core structure. The analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the presence and the peak of each specific chemical element of the used alloys. The histological and histomorphometric analysis showed a greater bone neoformation in the titanium alloys during the initial period, when compared with cpTi and Ti-6Al-4V. It was concluded that the samples made of titanium alloys with low elastic modulus have better influence on the osteoblasts, in the initial period, favoring an early osseointegration