acid-phosphatase and Candidiasis

It has been reported that various metal coordination compounds have improved some biological properties. A high activity of acid phosphatase (AcP) is associated to several diseases (osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, prostate cancer, among others) and makes it a target for the development of new potential inhibitors. Anti-thyroid agents have disadvantageous side effects and the scarcity of medicines in this area motivated many researchers to synthesize new ones. Several copper(II) complexes have shown antifungal activities. In this work we presented for a first time the inhibition of AcP and the anti-thyroid activity produced by methimazole-Cu(II) complexes. Cu-Met ([Cu(MeimzH)2(H2O)2](NO3)2·H2O) produces a weak inhibition action while Cu-Met-phen ([Cu(MeimzH)2(phen)(H2O)2]Cl2) shows a strong inhibition effect (IC50 = 300 μM) being more effective than the reported behavior of vanadium complexes. Cu-Met-phen also presented a fairly good anti-thyroid activity with a formation constant value, Kc=1.02 × 10(10)M(-1) being 10(6) times more active than methimazole (Kc = 4.16 × 10(4)M(-1)) in opposition to Cu-Met which presented activity (Kc=9.54 × 10(3)M(-1)) but in a lesser extent than that of the free ligand. None of the complexes show antifungal activity except Cu-phen (MIC = 11.71 μgmL(-1) on Candidaalbicans) which was tested for comparison. Besides, albumin interaction experiments denoted high affinity toward the complexes and the calculated binding constants indicate reversible binding to the protein.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Animals; Antifungal Agents; Antithyroid Agents; Candida; Candidiasis; Cattle; Coordination Complexes; Copper; Humans; Methimazole; Protein Conformation; Serum Albumin, Bovine

Ability to respond to environmental changes and secretion of hydrolases are considered to be important for Candida virulence. In this study we determined and compared the activities of 19 different hydrolases of the fungal strains isolated from diabetic and non-diabetic pregnant women. We also looked for the presence of a relationship between hydrolase activities and glycemic control, and, furthermore, evaluated the influence of gestational age on the activity of hydrolases. Mycological examinations were performed for 119 diabetic pregnant women: 47 with diabetes mellitus type I (DM), 72 with gestational diabetes (GDM), and for 132 healthy women (CON). Samples were collected from the vagina, rectum and oral cavity and cultured on Sabouraud media. The fungal hydrolase activities were evaluated using the API ZYM test (bioMerieux). For the 19 different fungal hydrolases tested, 13 activities were present in the isolated fungal strains. The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in vaginal strains (p=0.028) and acid phosphatase (ACP) in strains from the vagina (p=0.006) and rectum (p=0.049) was significantly lower in DM than in GDM and CON women. In conclusion, we describe for the first time that fungi isolated from pregnant diabetic women have lower activity of both phosphatases compared to fungi isolated from healthy women. Furthermore, similar differences of mean ALP and ACP activities were observed in the course of pregnancy in strains from the vagina and rectum of DM and CON women. However, strains from DM had lower activity at each stage of pregnancy. The highest activity of ALP and ACP was detected at the beginning, then declined, and had the lowest values between the 24(th) and 33(rd) week of gestation. After that period the activity of both phosphatases increased.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase; Blood Glucose; Candida; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetes, Gestational; Female; Fungi; Humans; Mycoses; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Pregnancy in Diabetics; Rectum; Vagina; Virulence

A previously reported enzyme assay on a membrane filter using 4-methylumbelliferyl (4-MU)-N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminide, -phosphate and -pyrophosphate as substrates for the differentiation of four Candida spp. has been extended to Candida parapsilosis. The substrate 4-MU-beta-D-glucoside was hydrolyzed by 28 test strains of this species but to a variable extent by seven other yeasts also. For a full enzymatic differentiation of C. parapsilosis from other medical yeasts, a battery of six reactions was required. Of 71 C. parapsilosis positive clinical samples, 4.2% gave a false negative result due to overgrowth by Candida albicans. The present assay is more rapid than a described spectrofluorometric determination of beta-D-glucosidase in a broth, i.e., 9-11 h versus up to >48 h.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Candida; Candidiasis; Clinical Enzyme Tests; Culture Media; Filtration; Galactosidases; Glucosidases; Humans; Permeability; Pyrophosphatases

Candida parapsilosis is an emerging fungal pathogen implicated in many diseases, especially in compromised hosts. Candidal colonization and infection depends on the initial ability to adhere to host surfaces, which in turn depends upon the cell wall components and the allied structures of both the host and the fungus. Examination of a miscellaneous collection of 24 C. parapsilosis isolates, from both superficial and deep infections, for their potential pathogenic traits displayed a relationship between the phosphatase activity measured with p-nitrophenol phosphate and adhesion of the yeasts to human buccal epithelial cells (BECs). Significant intraspecies differences were seen in both the alkaline and acid phosphatase activity as well as in their adhesion to BECs (p<0.0001). The acid phosphatase activity of the superficial isolates was significantly greater (152%) than that of the systemic isolates (p = 0.0352). A highly significant positive correlation was also established between the yeast adhesion to BECs and both the acid (r = 0.88, p<0.0001) and alkaline (r = 0.9, p<0.0001) phosphatase activity. These relationships, described here for the first time, imply that phosphatases of Candida species may play a crucial role in potentiating their virulence.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase; Candida; Candidiasis; Cell Adhesion; Cheek; Epithelial Cells; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Mouth Mucosa; Virulence

The prevalence of immunologically suppressed patients, including those infected with the AIDS virus, with cancer, and those having had transplant surgery to name a few, has provided an avenue for the rapid proliferation among these patients of the virulent yeast Candida albicans. Previous studies have determined that a potent toxin is produced by C. albicans which may cause extensive tissue damage. The extent of the tissue damage has never been determined, neither has the mechanism been explained. The present work shows that intraperitoneal inoculation of C. albicans produces numerous tumour-like lesions and abscesses on the major organs of experimental laboratory rats. The results demonstrate that damage is caused by the initial release of lysosomal enzymes by the affected tissues.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Animals; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Cell Nucleus; Cells, Cultured; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Coloring Agents; DNA; Electrophoresis; Female; Kidney; Liver; Lysosomes; Male; Microspectrophotometry; Mycotoxins; Rats; Rosaniline Dyes

Candida species are important nosocomial pathogens, particularly in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. A variety of methods have been used to differentiate strains, but an optimal system has not been established. We compared methods for typing a panel of nine related isolates of Candida tropicalis from an outbreak of sternal wound infections as well as four unrelated control isolates of this species. (The genetic relationships of the nine isolates in the panel had been confirmed previously by restriction fragment analysis.) Typing was undertaken without knowledge of an isolate's origin. Karyotyping by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF) gel electrophoresis failed to distinguish between outbreak and control isolates. However, when chromosome-sized DNA was digested with SfiI, EagI, SacII, or NaeI and the fragments were separated by CHEF electrophoresis, the outbreak isolates were readily identified. The isoenzyme profiles of the outbreak isolates were identical and were distinctly different from those of the control isolates. While both isoenzyme profiles and the modified CHEF procedure were discriminatory, the latter is recommended as a relatively convenient and reproducible technique for comparison of types of C. tropicalis.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Candida; Candidiasis; Disease Outbreaks; DNA, Fungal; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; Esterases; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; Glucosidases; Humans; Isoenzymes; Karyotyping; Mycological Typing Techniques; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Superoxide Dismutase; Surgical Wound Infection

Mycotic foci were studied histochemically on various experimental models of candidiasis. NAD-H, NADP-H-diaphorase, acid phosphatase and ATPase were revealed in the fungi, the activity of these enzymes depended on the state of the fungus. Diaphorase activity in the mucous membrane epithelium falls only if it is damaged by massive invasion of pseudo-mycelium. Inhibition of the enzyme activity in the visceral foci (kidney, liver, heart) occurs only in case of pronounced destruction and is not observed at the distance from the fungi. The results do not confirm the idea of fungal secretion of mycotoxins penetrating into the surrounding tissues and damaging them.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Candidiasis; Candidiasis, Cutaneous; Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase; Female; Histocytochemistry; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred CBA; Mucous Membrane; NADPH Dehydrogenase; Viscera

The surface of Candida albicans is covered by a mucus layer secreted by the cell. Excess mucus secretion accumulates between the cells, and contains protein, polysaccharides and secreted enzymes. In mature cultures dead cells are trapped in the mucus, and the accumulated mucus and cell debris facilitate the formation of plaque, and the penetration of C. albicans into infected host tissues.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Cell Wall; Culture Media; Fungal Proteins; Glycosaminoglycans; Hexosaminidases; Humans; Phospholipases; Spores, Fungal; Succinate Dehydrogenase