Cryptococcosis is an invasive mycosis caused mainly by Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans and is treated with amphotericin B (AMB), fluconazole and 5-fluorocytosine. However, antifungal resistance, limited and toxic antifungal arsenal stimulate the search for therapeutic strategies such as drug repurposing. Among the repurposed drugs studied, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have shown activity against Cryptococcus spp. However, little is known about the antifungal effect of duloxetine hydrochloride (DH), a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI), against C. neoformans and C. gattii. In this study, DH inhibited the growth of several C. neoformans and C. gattii strains at concentrations ranging from 15.62 to 62.50 µg/mL. In addition, DH exhibited fungicidal activity ranging from 15.62 to 250 µg/mL. In biofilm, DH treatment reduced Cryptococcus spp. biomass at a level comparable to AMB, with a significant reduction (85%) for C. neoformans biofilms. The metabolic activity of C. neoformans and C. gattii biofilms decreased significantly (99%) after treatment with DH. Scanning electron micrographs confirmed the anti-biofilm activity of DH, as isolated cells could be observed after treatment. In conclusion, DH showed promising antifungal activity against planktonic cells and biofilms of C. neoformans and C. gattii, opening perspectives for further studies with DH in vivo.

• Klíčová slova
• Cryptococcus spp, Biofilm, Drug repurposing, Duloxetine hydrochloride,
• MeSH
• antifungální látky * farmakologie   MeSH
• biofilmy * účinky léků   MeSH
• Cryptococcus gattii * účinky léků   MeSH
• Cryptococcus neoformans * účinky léků   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• duloxetinum hydrochlorid * farmakologie   MeSH
• kryptokokóza farmakoterapie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• mikrobiální testy citlivosti * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antifungální látky * MeSH
• duloxetinum hydrochlorid * MeSH

Cryptococcosis is caused by members of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex. Based on molecular identification, these two species have been further differentiated into molecular types. The aim of this work was to characterize clinical cryptococcal isolates recovered from six hospitals in Northeast Mexico from 1995 to 2011. One hundred and sixty-six isolates, which were characterized by biochemical tests and in vitro susceptibility to amphotericin B, fluconazole, and voriconazole, and M13 PCR fingerprinting, were included in this study. Utilizing phenotypic tests, 153 isolates (92.16 %) were identified as C. neoformans and 13 (7.83 %) as C. gattii. All isolates were susceptible to all antifungals tested. Employing M13 PCR fingerprinting, eight molecular types were detected. VNI was the most common genotype (124 cases; 74.6 %), followed by VNII (15 cases; 9 %), VNIII (8 cases; 4.8 %), VNIV (6 cases; 3.6 %), VGI (6 cases; 3.6 %), VGII (3 cases; 1.8 %), and VGIII and VGIV (2 cases, 1.2 % each). We confirm the presence of C. gattii in clinical isolates in Northeast Mexico, and a high clonal diversity in the studied strains of C. neoformans/C. gattii species complex.

• MeSH
• antifungální látky farmakologie   MeSH
• Cryptococcus gattii klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• Cryptococcus neoformans klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• DNA fingerprinting MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• kryptokokóza epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• molekulární epidemiologie MeSH
• molekulární typizace * MeSH
• mykologické určovací techniky * MeSH
• nemocnice MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Mexiko epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antifungální látky MeSH