Avaliação in vitro da atividade antifúngica da β-lapachona frente a cepas de Candida spp. resistentes a derivados azólicos na forma planctônica e em isolados formadores de biofilme

Abstract

At the present time, a significant increase of opportunistic fungal infections is observed, mainly in immunocompromised patients. Candidiasis has been the most documented and are often associated with the formation of biofilms. Commercially available antifungal agents are restricted to a small number of drugs when compared to antibacterial agents. These facts, associated with the increase in the resistance frequency of Candida species, demonstrate the need to search for new therapeutic strategies, where natural products stand out. Several works have already demonstrated different biological activities of β-lapachone (naphthoquinone), including antifungal. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the antifungal potential of β-lapachone on the growth of Candida spp. Resistant to azole derivatives, in planktonic forms and biofilm, as well as to elucidate their possible mechanisms of action. For this, the evaluation of the anti-fungal effect of β-lapachone was performed on 22 strains of Candida spp. Using microdilution in broth. Subsequently, parameters such as cell viability, generation of reactive oxygen species (EROS), mitochondrial damage and phosphatidylserine externalization were evaluated by means of flow cytometric analysis and DNA damage by comet test, contributing to elucidation of the probable mechanism of Β-lapachone action. In addition, a protein expression profile was obtained by proteomic analysis in a representative C. albicans strain after treatment with the compound. And, finally, the cell viability of the biofilms was determined by the tetrazolium salt reduction (MTT) assay. According to the results, β-lapachone presented antifungal activity against strains of Candida spp. Azole resistant, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 4 - 16 μg / mL. Β-lapachone altered the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane, increased the intracellular levels of EROS, decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, caused DNA damage and, consequently, led to cell death by apoptosis. Among the proteins identified, some are related to the translation process, energy metabolism, genetic processing and defense against reactive oxygen species. In relation to the biofilm assays, β-lapachone presented an effect on biofilm formed (24 hours), with the C. albicans isolate presenting a 50% reduction in concentrations of 2x MIC, 10x MIC and 50x MIC, while C. tropicalis and C In the concentrations of 10x MIC and 50x MIC (p <0.05). The use of subinhibitory concentrations was able to significantly reduce (p <0.05) the biofilm formation of Candida spp. Therefore, we conclude that β-lapachone is able to inhibit the in vitro growth of Candida spp. Resistant in both planktonic and biofilm forms suggesting that this compound molecule has the potential to act as an antifungal agent with apoptotic activity.