Vaginal candidiasis prevalence, associated factors, and antifungal susceptibility patterns among pregnant women attending antenatal care at bule hora university teaching hospital, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Vulvovaginitis is common in women of reproductive age group characterized by purulent white discharge. The incidence of vulvovaginitis has risen recently due to the resistance of Candida species to commonly used antifungal agents and recurrent infections. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the prevalence, associated factors, and antifungal susceptibility patterns of vaginal candidiasis among pregnant women attending Bule Hora University Teaching Hospital. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2023 to August 2023. Using systematic random sampling, 317 pregnant women participated in the study. Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and Chromogenic Candida Differential Agar were used to isolate and identify Candida species from clinical samples. Antifungal susceptibility was performed using a modified disc diffusion method. Epi data version 4.6 was used for data entry and Statistical Packages for Social Sciences version 25 was used for statistical analysis. A P-value < 0.05 was declared statistically significant. RESULT: The prevalence of vaginal candidiasis was 26.8% (95%, CI 21.9-31.72%). History of using contraceptives (AOR = 5.03, 95%CI, 1.21-11.37), past vaginal candidiasis (AOR = 6, 95%CI, 1.61-12.92), pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (AOR = 4.24, 95%CI, 1.23-14.14), diabetic mellitus (AOR = 2.17, 95%CI, 1.02-4.64), history of antibiotic use (AOR = 3.55, 95%CI, 1.67-12.75), pregnant women in third trimester (AOR = 8.72, 95%CI, 1.30-23.07), were the significantly associated factors for vaginal candidiasis. The study revealed that itraconazole, amphotericin B, and miconazole were the most effective antifungal drugs for all Candida isolates. CONCLUSION: The present study has identified a high prevalence of vaginal candidiasis among pregnant women. The isolated Candida species showed resistance to fluconazole, ketoconazole, and clotrimazole. Therefore, healthcare providers should increase awareness of the risks of Candida infections to reduce Candida species among pregnant women. Physicians should prescribe suitable medications based on antifungal drug test outcomes to treat pregnant women with vaginal candidiasis.

Anti-Melanoma Effects of Miconazole: Investigating the Mitochondria Involvement.

Miconazole is an antimycotic drug showing anti-cancer effects in several cancers. However, little is known on its effects in melanoma. A375 and SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cell lines were exposed to miconazole and clotrimazole (up to 100 mM). Proliferation, viability with MTT assay and vascular mimicry were assayed at 24 h treatment. Molecular effects were measured at 6 h, namely, ATP-, ROS-release and mitochondria-related cytofluorescence. A metabolomic profile was also investigated at 6 h treatment. Carnitine was one of the most affected metabolites; therefore, the expression of 29 genes involved in carnitine metabolism was investigated in the public platform GEPIA2 on 461 melanoma patients and 558 controls. After 24 h treatments, miconazole and clotrimazole strongly and significantly inhibited proliferation in the presence of 10% serum on either melanoma cell lines; they also strongly reduced viability and vascular mimicry. After 6 h treatment, ATP reduction and ROS increase were observed, as well as a significant reduction in mitochondria-related fluorescence. Further, in A375, miconazole strongly and significantly altered expression of several metabolites including carnitines, phosphatidyl-cholines, all amino acids and several other small molecules, mostly metabolized in mitochondria. The expression of 12 genes involved in carnitine metabolism was found significantly modified in melanoma patients, 6 showing a significant impact on patients' survival. Finally, miconazole antiproliferation activity on A375 was found completely abrogated in the presence of carnitine, supporting a specific role of carnitine in melanoma protection toward miconazole effect, and was significantly reversed in the presence of caspases inhibitors such as ZVAD-FMK and Ac-DEVD-CHO, and a clear pro-apoptotic effect was observed in miconazole-treated cells, by FACS analysis of Annexin V-FITC stained cells. Miconazole strongly affects proliferation and other biological features in two human melanoma cell lines, as well as mitochondria-related functions such as ATP- and ROS-release, and the expression of several metabolites is largely dependent on mitochondria function. Miconazole, likely acting via carnitine and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, is therefore suggested as a candidate for further investigations in melanoma treatments.

Silver Complexes of Miconazole and Metronidazole: Potential Candidates for Melanoma Treatment.

Melanoma, arguably the deadliest form of skin cancer, is responsible for the majority of skin-cancer-related fatalities. Innovative strategies concentrate on new therapies that avoid the undesirable effects of pharmacological or medical treatment. This article discusses the chemical structures of [(MTZ)2AgNO3], [(MTZ)2Ag]2SO4, [Ag(MCZ)2NO3], [Ag(MCZ)2BF4], [Ag(MCZ)2SbF6] and [Ag(MCZ)2ClO4] (MTZ-metronidazole; MCZ-miconazole) silver(I) compounds and the possible relationship between the molecules and their cytostatic activity against melanoma cells. Molecular Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational methods were used to examine the possible association between the structure and anticancer activity of the silver(I) complexes and compare the cytotoxicity of the silver(I) complexes of metronidazole and miconazole with that of silver(I) nitrate, cisplatin, metronidazole and miconazole complexes against A375 and BJ cells. Additionally, these preliminary biological studies found the greatest IC50 values against the A375 line were demonstrated by [Ag(MCZ)2NO3] and [(MTZ)2AgNO3]. The compound [(MTZ)2AgNO3] was three-fold more toxic to the A375 cells than the reference (cisplatin) and 15 times more cytotoxic against the A375 cells than the normal BJ cells. Complexes of metronidazole with Ag(I) are considered biocompatible at a concentration below 50 µmol/L.

The anti-fungal effect of miconazole and miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles gels in diabetic patients with Oral candidiasis-randomized control clinical trial and microbiological analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oral thrush is the most common occurring fungal infection in the oral cavity in uncontrolled diabetic patients, it is treated by various antifungal drugs according to each case. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of topical application of miconazole and miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles in treatment of diabetic patients with oral candidiasis. METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 80 diabetic patients presenting with symptomatic oral candidiasis were randomly assigned into two treatment groups: miconazole and miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles. The patients were treated for 28 days, and clinical assessments were conducted at baseline, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Clinical parameters, including signs and symptoms of oral candidiasis were evaluated and microbiological analysis was performed to determine the Candida species and assess their susceptibility to the antifungal agents. Statistical analysis was done to the categorical and numerical data using chi-square test and Kruskal Wallis test. RESULTS: The antifungal efficacy between the miconazole and miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CS-MCZ) groups insignificant difference (P >  0.05) was observed. Both treatment modalities exhibited comparable effectiveness in controlling oral candidiasis symptoms and reducing Candida colonization as miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles group showed a significant difference in the clinical improvement in respect of both signs and symptoms from baseline (70%) until the end of study at 28 days (5%) (P <  0.05) Moreover, miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, there was a significant reduction in the number of colonies forming units of Candida albicans from baseline until the end of the study at 28-day with P value <  0.000. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized controlled clinical trial and microbiological analysis demonstrate that both miconazole and miconazole-loaded chitosan nanoparticles are effective in the treatment of oral candidiasis in diabetic patients with no adverse reactions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT06072716 with first registration first registration in 10/10/2023.

Chitosan-coated miconazole as an effective anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of postoperative infections in obstetrics and vaginal yeast infection control on in vitro evaluations.

People with immune deficiency are at risk of developing infections caused by several bacterial and fungal species. In this work, chitosan-coated miconazole was developed by a simple sol-gel method. Miconazole is considered an effective drug to treat vaginal infection-causing bacteria and fungi. The coating of chitosan with miconazole nitrate showed the highest drug loading efficiency (62.43%) and mean particle size (2 µm). FTIR spectroscopic analysis confirmed the entrapment of miconazole nitrate into chitosan polymer. The antifungal result demonstrated that MN@CS microgel possessed notable anti-Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans activity in lower doses. Antibacterial activity results revealed excellent bacterial growth inhibition of MN@CS microgel towards human skin infectious pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The biocompatibility studies of In vitro cell viability and Artemia salina lethality assay suggested that MN@CS microgel is more biosafe and suitable for human external applications. In the future, it will be an efficient anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of vaginal infections.

Repurposing miconazole and tamoxifen for the treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus complex infections through in silico chemogenomics approach.

Drug repositioning is an alternative to overcome the complexity of the drug discovery and approval procedures for the treatment of Mycobacterium abscessus Complex (MABSC) infections that are increasing globally due to the emergency of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Here, an in silico chemogenomics approach was performed to compare the sequences from 4942 M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (M. abscessus) proteins with 5258 or 3473 therapeutic targets registered in the DrugBank or Therapeutic Target Database, respectively. This comparison identified 446 drugs or drug candidates whose targets were homologous to M. abscessus proteins. These identified drugs were considered potential inhibitors of MABSC (anti-MABSC activity). Further screening and inspection resulted in the selection of ezetimibe, furosemide, itraconazole, miconazole (MCZ), tamoxifen (TAM), and thiabendazole (THI) for experimental validation. Among them, MCZ and TAM showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 32 and 24 µg mL-1 against M. abscessus, respectively. For M. bolletii and M. massiliense strains, MCZ and TAM showed MICs of 16 and 24 µg mL-1, in this order. Subsequently, the antibacterial activity of MCZ was confirmed in vivo, indicating its potential to reduce the bacterial load in the lungs of infected mice. These results show that MCZ and TAM can serve as molecular scaffolds for the prospective hit-2-lead optimization of new analogs with greater potency, selectivity, and permeability.

Miconazole Promotes Cooperative Ability of a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease.

BACKGROUND: Cooperative defect is 1 of the earliest manifestations of disease patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) exhibit, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the cooperative function of APP/PS1 transgenic AD model mice at ages 2, 5, and 8 months by using a cooperative drinking task. We examined neuropathologic changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Another experiment was designed to observe whether miconazole, which has a repairing effect on myelin sheath, could promote the cooperative ability of APP/PS1 mice in the early AD-like stage. We also investigated the protective effects of miconazole on cultured mouse cortical oligodendrocytes exposed to human amyloid ß peptide (Aß1-42). RESULTS: We observed an age-dependent impairment of cooperative water drinking behavior in APP/PS1 mice. The AD mice with cooperative dysfunction showed decreases in myelin sheath thickness, oligodendrocyte nuclear heterochromatin percentage, and myelin basic protein expression levels in the mPFC. The cooperative ability was significantly improved in APP/PS1 mice treated with miconazole. Miconazole treatment increased oligodendrocyte maturation and myelin sheath thickness without reducing Aß plaque deposition, reactive gliosis, and inflammatory factor levels in the mPFC. Miconazole also protected cultured oligodendrocytes from the toxicity of Aß1-42. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that mPFC hypomyelination is involved in the cooperative deficits of APP/PS1 mice. Improving myelination through miconazole therapy may offer a potential therapeutic approach for early intervention in AD.

In vitro activity of 23 antifungal drugs against 54 clinical and environmental Aspergillus oryzae isolates.

The treatment of invasive aspergillosis caused by cryptic species remains a challenge due to the lack of randomised clinical trials and investigation of the efficacy and safety of different therapeutic strategies. We aimed to evaluate the in vitro activity of 23 conventional and new antifungal drugs against 54 clinical and environmental Aspergillus oryzae isolates by using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standard M38-A3. The lowest geometric mean MIC values were found for luliconazole and lanoconazole (0.001 µg/ml), followed by anidulafungin (0.104 µg/ml), posaconazole (0.15 µg/ml), itraconazole (0.37 µg/ml), efinaconazole (0.5 µg/ml), voriconazole (0.51 µg/ml), tavaborole (0.72 µg/ml), and amphotericin B (0.79 µg/ml). In contrast, ketoconazole, terbinafine, econazole, tioconazole, ravuconazole, miconazole, nystatin, clotrimazole, griseofulvin, sertaconazole, natamycin, tolnaftate, and fluconazole had no or low activity. Further studies are required to determine how well this in vitro activity translates into in vivo efficacy.

Synergistic Activity of Ketoconazole and Miconazole with Prochloraz in Inducing Oxidative Stress, GSH Depletion, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Apoptosis in Mouse Sertoli TM4 Cells.

Triazole and imidazole fungicides represent an emerging class of pollutants with endocrine-disrupting properties. Concerning mammalian reproduction, a possible causative role of antifungal compounds in inducing toxicity has been reported, although currently, there is little evidence about potential cooperative toxic effects. Toxicant-induced oxidative stress (OS) may be an important mechanism potentially involved in male reproductive dysfunction. Thus, to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of azoles on male reproduction, the individual and combined potential of fluconazole (FCZ), prochloraz (PCZ), miconazole (MCZ), and ketoconazole (KCZ) in triggering in vitro toxicity, redox status alterations, and OS in mouse TM4 Sertoli cells (SCs) was investigated. In the present study, we demonstrate that KCZ and MCZ, alone or in synergistic combination with PCZ, strongly impair SC functions, and this event is, at least in part, ascribed to OS. In particular, azoles-induced cytotoxicity is associated with growth inhibitory effects, G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, imbalance of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) specific activity, glutathione (GSH) depletion, and apoptosis. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibits ROS accumulation and rescues SCs from azole-induced apoptosis. PCZ alone exhibits only cytostatic and pro-oxidant properties, while FCZ, either individually or in combination, shows no cytotoxic effects up to 320 µM.

[Analysis of resistance and sensitivity of 1 200 strains of vulvovaginal candidiasis in China to five common antifungal drugs].

Objective: To test the antibiotic susceptibility of vulvovaginal candidiasis pathogenic strains to 5 antifungal drugs commonly used in clinic. Methods: A total of 1 200 vulvovaginal candida patients from 23 gynecological and family planning outpatient departments in China were enrolled. Their vaginal secretions were collected for candida strain isolation and species identification. According to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M27-S3, the sensitivity of 1 200 strains to clotrimazole, fluconazole, miconazole, itraconazole and nystatin was tested. Results: (1) The sensitivity and resistance of 1 200 vulvovaginal candidiasis pathogens to 5 antifungal drugs were statistically different (χ2=3 513.201, P<0.01). (2) All strains had higher sensitivity to nystatin [99.92% (1 199/1 200)], followed by miconazole [92.25% (1 107/1 200)] and clotrimazole [87.17% (1 046/1 200)]. All strains had higher resistance to fluconazole [69.17% (830/1 200)], while itraconazole was 50.83% (610/1 200). (3) There was no significant difference between candida albicans and non-candida albicans in drug sensitivity to nystatin (P=0.315) and miconazole (P=0.425). (4) Candida albicans and non-candida albicans showed different sensitivity to clotrimazole, fluconazole and itraconazole, respectively. Compared with non-candida albicans, candida albicans showed higher sensitivity to clotrimazole [susceptibility rate: 73.01% (165/226) vs 90.45% (881/974); P<0.001] and higher resistance to fluconazole [resistance rate: 50.88% (115/226) vs 73.41% (715/974); P<0.001]. Although the drug sensitivity of itraconazole was not high, the susceptibility rate of candida albicans to itraconazole was slightly higher than that of non-candida albicans [37.68% (367/974) vs 23.89% (54/226)], and the drug resistance rate was lower [49.28% (480/974) vs 57.52% (130/226)]. Conclusions: The sensitivity of 1 200 strains of candida to 5 antifungal drugs is significantly different, the sensitivity rate of nystatin, miconazole and clotrimazole are higher, but the resistance rate of fluconazole and itraconazole are higher. The sensitivity of candida albicans and non-candida albicans to the same drug is also significantly different. It is suggested that in clinical diagnosis and treatment, we should pay attention to the identification of candida and drug sensitivity test, so as to select antifungal drugs rationally.

Automated in vivo screen in zebrafish identifies Clotrimazole as targeting a metabolic vulnerability in a melanoma model.

Therapeutic approaches for cutaneous melanoma are flourishing, but despite promising results, there is an increasing number of reported primary or secondary resistance to the growing sets of drugs approved for therapy in the clinics. Combinatorial approaches may overcome resistance, as they may tackle specific weaknesses of melanoma cells, not sufficient on their own, but effective in combination with other therapies. The transgenic zebrafish line kita:ras develops melanoma with high frequency. At 3 dpf, transgenic kita:ras larvae show a hyperpigmentation phenotype as earliest evidence of abnormal melanocyte growth. Using this model, we performed a chemical screen based on automated detection of a reduction of melanocyte number caused by any of 1280 FDA or EMA approved drugs of the library. The analysis showed that 55 molecules were able to reduce by 60% or more the number of melanocytes per embryo. We further tested two compounds for each of the 5 classes, and a farnesyltransferase inhibitor (Lonafarnib), that inhibits an essential post-translational modification of HRAS and suppresses the hyperpigmentation phenotype. Combinations of Clotrimazole and Lonafarnib showed the most promising results in zebrafish embryos, allowing a dose reduction of both drugs. We performed validation of these observations in the metastatic human melanoma cell line A375M, and in normal human epithelial melanocytes (NHEM) in order to investigate the mechanism of action of Clotrimazole in blocking the proliferation of transformed melanocytes. Viability assay and analysis of energy metabolism in Clotrimazole treated cells show that this drug specifically affects melanoma cells in vitro and transformed melanocytes in vivo, having no effects on NHEM or wild type larvae. Similar effects were observed with another hit of the same class, Miconazole. Furthermore, we show that the effects of Clotrimazole are mediated by the inhibition of hexokinase activity, which is lethal to the abnormal metabolic profile of melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, our study shows that the zebrafish can provide a phenotype-rich assay for fully automated screening approaches to identify drugs for synthetic lethal treatment in melanoma and suggest further testing of Clotrimazole in combinatorial treatments.

Drug-based modulation of endogenous stem cells promotes functional remyelination in vivo.

Multiple sclerosis involves an aberrant autoimmune response and progressive failure of remyelination in the central nervous system. Prevention of neural degeneration and subsequent disability requires remyelination through the generation of new oligodendrocytes, but current treatments exclusively target the immune system. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells are stem cells in the central nervous system and the principal source of myelinating oligodendrocytes. These cells are abundant in demyelinated regions of patients with multiple sclerosis, yet fail to differentiate, thereby representing a cellular target for pharmacological intervention. To discover therapeutic compounds for enhancing myelination from endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, we screened a library of bioactive small molecules on mouse pluripotent epiblast stem-cell-derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Here we show seven drugs function at nanomolar doses selectively to enhance the generation of mature oligodendrocytes from progenitor cells in vitro. Two drugs, miconazole and clobetasol, are effective in promoting precocious myelination in organotypic cerebellar slice cultures, and in vivo in early postnatal mouse pups. Systemic delivery of each of the two drugs significantly increases the number of new oligodendrocytes and enhances remyelination in a lysolecithin-induced mouse model of focal demyelination. Administering each of the two drugs at the peak of disease in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis results in striking reversal of disease severity. Immune response assays show that miconazole functions directly as a remyelinating drug with no effect on the immune system, whereas clobetasol is a potent immunosuppressant as well as a remyelinating agent. Mechanistic studies show that miconazole and clobetasol function in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells through mitogen-activated protein kinase and glucocorticoid receptor signalling, respectively. Furthermore, both drugs enhance the generation of human oligodendrocytes from human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in vitro. Collectively, our results provide a rationale for testing miconazole and clobetasol, or structurally modified derivatives, to enhance remyelination in patients.

Oceanapiside, a Marine Natural Product, Targets the Sphingolipid Pathway of Fluconazole-Resistant Candida glabrata.

Oceanapiside (OPS), a marine natural product with a novel bifunctional sphingolipid structure, is fungicidal against fluconazole-resistant Candida glabrata at 10 µg/mL (15.4 µM). The fungicidal effect was observed at 3 to 4 h after exposure to cells. Cytological and morphological studies revealed that OPS affects the budding patterns of treated yeast cells with a significant increase in the number of cells with single small buds. In addition, this budding morphology was found to be sensitive in the presence of OPS. Moreover, the number of cells with single medium-sized buds and cells with single large buds were decreased significantly, indicating that fewer cells were transformed to these budding patterns, suggestive of inhibition of polarized growth. OPS was also observed to disrupt the organized actin assembly in C. glabrata, which correlates with inhibition of budding and polarized growth. It was also demonstrated that phytosphingosine (PHS) reversed the antifungal activity of oceanapiside. We quantified the amount of long chain-bases (LCBs) and phytoceramide from the crude extracts of treated cells using LC-ESI-MS. PHS concentration was elevated in extracts of cells treated with OPS when compared with cells treated with miconazole and amphotericin B. Elevated levels of PHS in OPS-treated cells confirms that OPS affects the pathway at a step downstream of PHS synthesis. These results also demonstrated that OPS has a mechanism of action different to those of miconazole and amphotericin B and interdicts fungal sphingolipid metabolism by specifically inhibiting the step converting PHS to phytoceramide.

Miconazole induces protective autophagy in bladder cancer cells.

Autophagy plays a dual function in cancer progression; autophagy activation can support cancer cell survival or contribute to cell death. Miconazole, a Food and Drug Administration-approved antifungal drug, has been implicated in oncology research recently. Miconazole was found to exert antitumor effects in various tumors, including bladder cancer (BC). However, whether it provokes protective autophagy has been never discussed. We provide evidence that miconazole induces protective autophagy in BC for the first time. The results indicated that 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3)-II processing and p62 expression were elevated after miconazole exposure. Also, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was increased after miconazole treatment. We also confirmed the autophagy-promoting effect of miconazole in the presence of bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1). The result indicates that a combination treatment of miconazole and Baf A1 improved LC3-II processing, confirming that miconazole promoted autophagic flux. The acridine orange, Lysotracker, and cathepsin D staining results indicate that miconazole increased lysosome formation, revealing its autophagy-promoting function. Finally, miconazole and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine cotreatment further reduced the cell viability and induced apoptosis in BC cells, proving that miconazole provokes protective autophagy in BC cells. Our findings approve that miconazole has an antitumor effect in promoting cell apoptosis; however, its function of protective autophagy is needed to be concerned in cancer treatment.

Isoconazole and Clemizole Hydrochloride Partially Reverse the Xeroderma Pigmentosum C Phenotype.

Xeroderma Pigmentosum protein C (XPC) is involved in recognition and repair of bulky DNA damage such as lesions induced by Ultra Violet (UV) radiation. XPC-mutated cells are, therefore, photosensitive and accumulate UVB-induced pyrimidine dimers leading to increased cancer incidence. Here, we performed a high-throughput screen to identify chemicals capable of normalizing the XP-C phenotype (hyper-photosensitivity and accumulation of photoproducts). Fibroblasts from XP-C patients were treated with a library of approved chemical drugs. Out of 1280 tested chemicals, 16 showed ≥25% photo-resistance with RZscore above 2.6 and two drugs were able to favor repair of 6-4 pyrimidine pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PP). Among these two compounds, Isoconazole could partially inhibit apoptosis of the irradiated cells especially when cells were post-treated directly after UV irradiation while Clemizole Hydrochloride-mediated increase in viability was dependent on both pre and post treatment. No synergistic effect was recorded following combined drug treatment and the compounds exerted no effect on the proliferative capacity of the cells post UV exposure. Amelioration of XP-C phenotype is a pave way towards understanding the accelerated skin cancer initiation in XP-C patients. Further examination is required to decipher the molecular mechanisms targeted by these two chemicals.

Targeted Delivery of Miconazole Employing LL37 Fragment Mutant Peptide CKR12-Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic) Acid Polymeric Micelles.

We previously reported that conjugates of antimicrobial peptide fragment analogues and poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) enhance antimicrobial activity and that the conjugated micelle structure is an effective tool for antimicrobial drug delivery. In recent years, the delivery of antimicrobial peptides to targets for antimicrobial activity has attracted attention. In this study, we targeted Candida albicans, a causative organism of catheter-related bloodstream infections, which is refractory to antimicrobial agents and is currently a problem in medical practice. We evaluated the antifungal activity of CKR12 (a mutant fragment of the human cathelicidin peptide, LL-37)-PLGA-miconazole (MCZ) micelles using nanotechnology with MCZ delivery. The prepared CKR12-PLGA-MCZ micelles were characterised by measuring dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, dilution stability, and drug release. CKR12-PLGA-MCZ micelles showed higher antifungal activity than CKR12-PLGA micelles and MCZ solution. Furthermore, scanning and transmission electron microscopy suggested that CKR12-PLGA-MCZ micelles disrupted both cell wall and cell membrane of C. albicans. Our results revealed a synergistic effect of antifungal activity using a combination of antimicrobial peptide fragment analogues and MCZ, and that MCZ is a promising tool for the delivery to target microorganisms.

Miconazole inhibits signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling by preventing its interaction with DNA damage-induced apoptosis suppressor.

DNA damage-induced apoptosis suppressor (DDIAS) facilitates the survival of lung cancer by suppressing apoptosis. Moreover, DDIAS promotes tyrosine phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) via their interaction. Here, we identified miconazole as an inhibitor of DDIAS/STAT3 interaction by screening a chemical library using a yeast two-hybrid assay. Miconazole inhibited growth, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, miconazole suppressed STAT3 tyrosine Y705 phosphorylation and the expression of its target genes, such as cyclin D1, survivin and snail but had no suppressive effect on the activation of ERK1/2 or AKT, which is involved in the survival of lung cancer. As expected, no interaction between DDIAS and STAT3 occurred in the presence of miconazole, as confirmed by immunoprecipitation assays. Mouse xenograft experiments showed that miconazole significantly suppressed both tumor size and weight in an NCI-H1703 mouse model. Tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 at Y705 and expression of its targets, such as cyclin D1, survivin and snail, were decreased in miconazole-treated tumor tissues, as compared with those in vehicle-treated tumor tissues. These data suggest that miconazole exerts an anti-cancer effect by suppressing STAT3 activation through inhibiting DDIAS/STAT3 binding.

Combination of Miconazole and Domiphen Bromide Is Fungicidal against Biofilms of Resistant Candida spp.

The occurrence and recurrence of mucosal biofilm-related Candida infections, such as oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis, are serious clinical issues. Vaginal infections caused by Candida spp., for example, affect 70 to 75% of women at least once during their lives. Miconazole (MCZ) is the preferred topical treatment against these fungal infections, yet it has only moderate antibiofilm activity. Through screening of a drug-repurposing library, we identified the quaternary ammonium compound domiphen bromide (DB) as an MCZ potentiator against Candida biofilms. DB displayed synergistic anti-Candida albicans biofilm activity with MCZ, reducing the number of viable biofilm cells 1,000-fold. In addition, the MCZ-DB combination also resulted in significant killing of biofilm cells of azole-resistant C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. auris isolates. In vivo, the MCZ-DB combination had significantly improved activity in a vulvovaginal candidiasis rat model compared to that of single-compound treatments. Data from an artificial evolution experiment indicated that the development of resistance against the combination did not occur, highlighting the potential of MCZ-DB combination therapy to treat Candida biofilm-related infections.

In vitro antifungal activity of luliconazole against nondermatophytic moulds.

In vitro antifungal activity of luliconazole against nondermatophytic moulds causing superficial infections was compared with that of five classes of 12 topical and systemic drugs. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the drugs against the genera of Neoscytalidium, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Scedosporium, and Alternaria was measured via modified microdilution method. In results, the nondermatophytic moulds were found to be less susceptible to drugs to which Neoscytalidium spp. and Fusarium spp. were typically drug resistant. However, luliconazole was effective against all the genera tested, including afore-mentioned two species, and had the lowest MICs among the drugs tested.

Miconazole-tolerant strains of Malassezia pachydermatis generated by culture in medium containing miconazole.

BACKGROUND: Tolerance of Malassezia pachydermatis to azole drugs has been reported worldwide, from strains isolated from dogs. Canine Malassezia dermatitis often is treated with shampoos containing 2% miconazole (MCZ) or other topical MCZ products. OBJECTIVES: In the in vitro study herein, it was investigated whether MCZ-induced amino acid substitutions in the lanosterol 14-alpha-demethylase (ERG11) gene 1 lead to azole tolerance in M. pachydermatis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Toleranced to MCZ was induced in an azole-susceptible strain of M. pachydermatis (CBS1879T ) by culture in medium containing MCZ. Antifungal susceptibility to MCZ, clotrimazole (CTZ) and itraconazole (ITZ) was assessed using the modified broth microdilution (BM) method. To assess the potential mechanism of tolerance in the three MCZ-resistant strains, ERG11 was sequenced. The interaction between the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus and MCZ in the azole-tolerant isolates also was examined. RESULTS: Three strains (NUBS19001 to NUBS19003) from CBS1879T cultured in medium containing MCZ exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 40 mg/L to MCZ, 5 mg/L to ITZ and >32 mg/L to CTZ, meaning that the isolates were tolerant. The combination of MCZ and tacrolimus exerted an indifferent effect against the MCZ-tolerant strain. BLAST analysis using the NCBI database showed mutations in the cytochrome p450 encoded by ERG11 in the MCZ-tolerant strains. CONCLUSIONS: In the present in vitro study, it was shown that MCZ exposure can induce amino acid substitutions in ERG11 and subsequent tolerance of M. pachydermatis to several azoles. Whether topical therapy with azole-containing products can exert a similar effect in vivo is a question that requires further research.