However, the antifungal activity against clinical isolates of Candida albicans resistant to antifungal drugs has not been studied. In this paper, we analysed the antifungal activity of gomesin in vitro and in vivo against a clinical strain of C. albicans (isolate 78), as well as its biodistribution and 7-Cl-O-Nec1 solubility dmso toxicity in mice. Our data showed that C. albicans (isolate 78) is resistant to fluconazole up to 1.5 mM, but gomesin is effective against this strain at a lower concentration

(MIC = 5.5 μM). This resistance to fluconazole is a common cause of treatment Selleckchem DZNeP failure [19]. A synergism between gomesin and fluconazole against two isolates of Candida albicans (78 and ATCC 90028) was demonstrated using the FICI calculation method. The synergistic mechanism of gomesin and fluconazole is not completely understood, but studies with Cryptococcus neoformans suggested that gomesin, through membrane permeabilisation, promotes an increased entry of fluconazole into the fungal cytoplasm, which AZD5582 chemical structure results in a better inhibition of the ergosterol synthesis. In this way, fluconazole is effective against C. neoformans at

lower doses when applied in combination with gomesin [7]. A similar phenomenon was observed in murine melanoma cells (B16F10-Nex2) treated with gomesin and the monoclonal Mab A4M in vitro. The cytotoxicity of Mab A4M was only detected in the presence of gomesin, after permeabilisation of the cell membrane allowed the entry and action of the monoclonal antibody [9]. From these studies, we hypothesised that gomesin facilitates the entry of fluconazole in Candida albicans through membrane permeabilisation. The literature on the use of antimicrobial peptides in the treatment of disseminated candidiasis is rather scarce. A study of the HLF peptide (1-11) originated from lactoferrin in immunosuppressed mice with disseminated candidiasis

showed that a single dose of 0.4 ng/kg, 24 h after infection, was able to significantly reduce CFU in the kidneys [20]. ETD-151, an analogue of heliomicin also has been shown to be particularly effective against systemic candidiasis in comparison with amphotericin B and several azoles [21]. Likewise, treatment with gomesin proved to be effective against disseminated MRIP candidiasis. The peptide effectively reduced the fungal burden in the kidneys, which is the highest tropism organ for Candida. A similar effect was observed with fluconazole; however, this drug has some toxic effects and has selected resistance in Candida albicans [19]. Therefore, the use of gomesin as a therapeutic may be an alternative treatment for candidiasis because our results show that it is non-toxic in mice. Unlike in vitro treatment with gomesin and fluconazole, we have not detected any the synergistic effect of treatment with both drugs in vivo.