Antifungal Activity of the Noncytotoxic Human Peptide Hepcidin 20 against Fluconazole-Resistant Candida glabrata in Human Vaginal Fluid.

ABSTRACT: Vaginal infections caused by Candida glabrata are difficult to eradicate due to this species' scarce susceptibility to azoles. Previous studies have shown that the human cationic peptide hepcidin 20 (Hep-20) exerts fungicidal activity in sodium phosphate buffer against a panel of C. glabrata clinical isolates with different levels of susceptibility to fluconazole. In addition, the activity of the peptide was potentiated under acidic conditions, suggesting an application in the topical treatment of vaginal infections. To investigate whether the peptide activity could be maintained in biological fluids, in this study the antifungal activity of Hep-20 was evaluated by a killing assay in (i) a vaginal fluid simulant (VFS) and in (ii) human vaginal fluid (HVF) collected from three

SUBMITTER: Del Gaudio G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3754342 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature