Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the synergistic effect of bovine cateslytin-loaded nanoparticles (bCAT-NPs) combined with ultrasound against Candida albicans biofilm and uncover the underlying mechanism. Methods: bCAT-NPs were prepared by the double emulsion method, and toxicity was observed by the hemolysis ratio. The metabolic activity and viable cell biomass, morphology and membrane permeability of C. albicans biofilm were observed. The expression of ALS3 mRNA, the content of reactive oxygen species, was detected. Finally, bCAT structure was analyzed. Results & conclusion: The hemolysis ratio of the bCAT-NPs group was significantly lower than that of the bCAT group. bCAT-NPs combined with ultrasound significantly reduced biofilm metabolic activity, inhibited the formation of hyphae, decreased the expression of ALS3 mRNA and increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species content. In the in vivo experiments, the colony-forming units/ml in the ultrasound+bCAT-NPs group decreased, and a few planktonic fungal cells were observed.
Author contributions
D Zhang, J Liu and X Chen planned and initiated the study. X Liu, S Xu, S Kang and Q Jiang performed the laboratory experiments and interpreted the results. X Liu and S Xu wrote the manuscript. S Zhang, L Hao, H Ran and W Huang provided technical guidance and experimental platform. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant Nos. 81071531,81372102) and the Key Projects of the Chongqing Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission (grant No. 2016ZDXM001). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.