title: Betamethasone augments the antifungal effect of menadione--towards a novel anti-Candida albicans combination therapy.
abstract: The fluorinated glucocorticoid betamethasone stimulated both the extracellular phospholipase production and hypha formation of the opportunistic human pathogen Candida albicans and also decreased the efficiency of the polyene antimycotics amphotericin B and nystatin against C. albicans in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, betamethasone increased synergistically the anti-Candida activity of the oxidative stress generating agent menadione, which may be exploited in future combination therapies to prevent or cure C. albicans infections, in the field of dermatology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ágnes
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Jakab
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Emri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Lilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sipos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ágnes
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Renátó
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dombrádi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ádám
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Kemény-Beke
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balla
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Majoros
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pócsi
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009761:Nystatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D024483:Vitamin K 3 / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009761:Nystatin; D024483:Vitamin K 3; D000666:Amphotericin B; D001623:Betamethasone
keywords: Antimycotics; Candida albicans; Glucocorticoids; Menadione; Oxidative stress