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In vitro anti-Cryptococcus activity of diphenyl diselenide alone and in combination with amphotericin B and fluconazole

  • Bacterial and Fungal Pathogenesis - Short Communication
  • Published:
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Abstract

Cryptococcus is an encapsulated yeast that causes fungal meningitis, most commonly in HIV patients, with high mortality rates. Thus, the study of new treatment options is relevant. Antifungal activity of organoselenium compounds attributed to their pro-oxidative effect in fungal cells has been shown given that few data regarding its anti-Cryptococcus activity are available, this in vitro study was conducted with 40 clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. Diphenyl diselenide (DD) alone, and its interaction with amphotericin B or fluconazole, was tested by microdilution and checkerboard assays. All Cryptococcus neoformans were inhibited by DD in concentrations ≤ 32 μg/mL, and fungicidal concentrations were ≤ 64 μg/mL. Advantageous interaction between fluconazole occurred in 40% of the isolates, respectively. This study contributes with data of DD alone and in combination with classical drugs of choice for cryptococcosis treatment. Further studies focused on DD antifungal mechanism of action, and in vivo experiments are necessary.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Health Science Post-graduation Program, of College of Medicine from Federal University of Rio Grande, and to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mycology Laboratory, College of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande, Campus Saúde, Visconde de Paranaguá 102, Centro, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, 96201-900, Brazil

    Jéssica Louise Benelli, Vanice Rodrigues Poester, Lívia Silveira Munhoz, Gabriel Baracy Klafke & Melissa Orzechowski Xavier

  2. Health Science Post-Graduation Program, College of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Jéssica Louise Benelli, Vanice Rodrigues Poester, Lívia Silveira Munhoz & Melissa Orzechowski Xavier

  3. Biomedical, Clinical Analysis Laboratory (LAC) of the University Hospital Dr. Miguel Riet Correa (HU-FURG/EBSERH), Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Jéssica Louise Benelli

  4. California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, and Div. of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford Univ. Medical School, Stanford, CA, USA

    David A. Stevens

Authors
  1. Jéssica Louise Benelli
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  2. Vanice Rodrigues Poester
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  3. Lívia Silveira Munhoz
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  4. Gabriel Baracy Klafke
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  5. David A. Stevens
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  6. Melissa Orzechowski Xavier
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Contributions

Jéssica Louise Benell: study design, development and methodology, collection of data, data analysis and interpretation, and writing all of the manuscript.

Vanice Rodrigues Poester: Development and methodology, collection of data, and data analysis and interpretation.

Lívia Silveira Munhoz: Development and methodology, collection of data, and data analysis and interpretation.

Gabriel Baracy Klafke: Development and methodology, collection of data, and data analysis and interpretation.

David A. Stevens: Writing all of the manuscript and manuscript revision.

Melissa Orzechowski Xavier: Study design, development and methodology, collection of data, data analysis and interpretation, writing all of the manuscript, and manuscript revision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melissa Orzechowski Xavier.

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Responsible Editor: Rosana Puccia

Partial data from this study was published as an abstract at the “12º Congresso Paulista de Infectologia.”

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Benelli, J.L., Poester, V.R., Munhoz, L.S. et al. In vitro anti-Cryptococcus activity of diphenyl diselenide alone and in combination with amphotericin B and fluconazole . Braz J Microbiol 52, 1719–1723 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-021-00552-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-021-00552-w

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