title: Cold atmospheric plasma inhibits the growth of Candida albicans by affecting ergosterol biosynthesis and suppresses the fungal virulence factors in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathogenic yeast Candida albicans is the most common opportunistic fungal pathogen that is responsible for a wide array of infections in susceptible individuals. Despite recent progress in developing novel antifungal drugs which combat Candida-related disorders, this fungus is still a major cause of life-threatening infections all over the world. In the present study, the effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) was evaluated on the growth of C. albicans with special attention to the ability of the CAP-treated fungus for biofilm formation, ergosterol biosynthesis and phospholipase and proteinase secretory production.
  
  
  METHODS
  C. albicans cell suspensions were irradiated over time-scales ranging of 90, 120, 150 and 180s under cold atmospheric plasma contained He/O2 (2%). Treated and untreated yeast cells were analyzed for the growth, biofilm formation, ergosterol content, and activities of phospholipase and proteinase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that CAP remarkably suppressed the growth of C. albicans by 31-82% at the given times. Likewise, CAP strongly inhibited the ergosterol biosynthesis by the fungus in the range of 40-91%, biofilm formation by 43-57% and the activities of phospholipase and proteinase enzymes by 4-45%, dose-dependently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAP strongly inhibits the growth and virulence factors of C. albicans and thus, it could be a potential candidate to treat Candida-related superficial and cutaneous infections in practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University Damghan Branch, Damghan, Iran.
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rahimi-Verki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University Damghan Branch, Damghan, Iran.
authors.forename: Atena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shapoorzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran. Electronic address: mrab442@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Razzaghi-Abyaneh
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanobiotechnology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran. Electronic address: mohammadatyabi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Seyed-Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Atyabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shams-Ghahfarokhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jahanshiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 13164, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadhassan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gholami-Shabani
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases; D037521:Virulence Factors; D004875:Ergosterol
keywords: Biofilm formation; Cold atmospheric plasma; Ergosterol biosynthesis; Phospholipase; Proteinase