Cefepime and Amoxicillin Increase Metabolism and Enhance Caspofungin Tolerance of Candida albicans Biofilms
2019
Rossana de Aguiar Cordeiro | Antonio Jose de Jesus Evangelista | Rosana Serpa | Ana Raquel Colares de Andrade | Patrícia Bruna Leite Mendes | Jonathas Sales de Oliveira | Lucas Pereira de Alencar | Vandbergue Santos Pereira | Reginaldo Gonçalves Lima-Neto | Raimunda Nogueira Brilhante | José Júlio Costa Sidrim | Débora Castelo Brancode Souza Collares Maia | Marcos Fábio Gadelha Rocha | Marcos Fábio Gadelha Rocha
It is well known that prolonged antibiotic therapy alters the mucosal microbiota composition, increasing the risk of invasive fungal infection (IFI) in immunocompromised patients. The present study investigated the direct effect of β-lactam antibiotics cefepime (CEF) and amoxicillin (AMOX) on biofilm production by Candida albicans ATCC 10231. Antibacterials at the peak plasmatic concentration of each drug were tested against biofilms grown on polystyrene surfaces. Biofilms were evaluated for biomass production, metabolic activity, carbohydrate and protein contents, proteolytic activity, ultrastructure, and tolerance to antifungals. CEF and AMOX enhanced biofilm production by C. albicans ATCC 10231, stimulating biomass production, metabolic activity, viable cell counts, and proteolytic activity, as well as increased biovolume and thickness of these structures. Nevertheless, AMOX induced more significant changes in C. albicans biofilms than CEF. In addition, it was shown that AMOX increased the amount of chitin in these biofilms, making them more tolerant to caspofungin. Finally, it was seen that, in response to AMOX, C. albicans biofilms produce Hsp70 – a protein with chaperone function related to stressful conditions. These results may have a direct impact on the pathophysiology of opportunistic IFIs in patients at risk.
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