title: Study of germ tube formation by Candida albicans after photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT).
abstract: Due to the augmented number of immunocompromised patients, the infections associated to the pathogen of the genus Candida have increased dramatically in the recent years. In order to proliferate, Candida albicans can produce a germ tube formation extending from the cells. The germ tube formation is a transition state from budding to hyphal cells, and represents an essential stage for virulence. In this work we studied the effect of the photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT), a potential antimicrobial treatment on the germ tube formation by C. albicans. Germ tube formation was induced by goat serum after different treatments with Methylene blue (MB) and Laser (683nm). Our results demonstrated that photodynamic therapy using MB, as a photosensitizing drug; inhibits both the growth and the germ tube formation by C. albicans. Thus, our results suggest the possibility that Methylene blue, combined with light in a specific wavelength, can be used as a promising novel antifungal agent.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Vale do Paraíba - UNIVAP, Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento - IP&D, Av. Shishima Hifumi, 2911, CEP12244-000 São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Egberto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Munin
authors.forename: Ligia Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Giroldo
authors.forename: Leandro Procópio
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Maricilia Silva
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D008751:Methylene Blue