Viral protease inhibitors affect the production of virulence factors in  Cryptococcus neoformans.
The effects of the protease inhibitors saquinavir, darunavir, ritonavir, and indinavir on growth inhibition, protease and phospholipase activities, as well as capsule thickness of Cryptococcus neoformans were investigated. Viral protease inhibitors did not reduce fungal growth when tested in concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 1.000 mg/L. A tendency toward increasing phospholipase activity was observed with the highest tested drug concentration in a strain-specific pattern. However, these drugs reduced protease activity as well as capsule production. Our results confirm a previous finding that antiretroviral drugs affect the production of important virulence factors of C. neoformans.
Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Specialized Medical Mycology Center, Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology, Federal University of Ceará, Campus do Porangabussu, Fortaleza-CE, Brazil.
J J C
JJ
Sidrim
L V
LV
Perdigão-Neto
R A
RA
Cordeiro
R S N
RS
Brilhante
J J G
JJ
Leite
C E C
CE
Teixeira
A J
AJ
Monteiro
R M F
RM
Freitas
J F
JF
Ribeiro
J R L
JR
Mesquita
M V F
MV
Gonçalves
M F G
MF
Rocha
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects*; D019469:Indinavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D037521:Virulence Factors; D019469:Indinavir; D019258:Saquinavir; D019438:Ritonavir