Skip Navigation


JAC Advance Access originally published online on July 7, 2009
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2009 64(3):567-570; doi:10.1093/jac/dkp242
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
64/3/567    most recent
dkp242v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lazzell, A. L.
Right arrow Articles by Lopez-Ribot, J. L.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lazzell, A. L.
Right arrow Articles by Lopez-Ribot, J. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Original research

Treatment and prevention of Candida albicans biofilms with caspofungin in a novel central venous catheter murine model of candidiasis

Anna L. Lazzell, Ashok K. Chaturvedi, Christopher G. Pierce, Deepthi Prasad, Priya Uppuluri and Jose L. Lopez-Ribot*

Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas, USA

Received 9 April 2009; returned 20 May 2009; revised 17 June 2009; accepted 18 June 2009

* Corresponding author. Tel: +1-210-458-7022; Fax: +1-210-458-7023; E-mail: jose.lopezribot{at}utsa.edu

Objectives: We sought to develop a novel model of central venous catheter (CVC)-associated candidiasis in mice and to use this model to examine the efficacy of caspofungin to treat and prevent Candida albicans biofilms in vivo.

Methods: We used catheterized mice, commercially available from the National Cancer Institute, to form C. albicans biofilms inside CVCs. Once the model was developed, we examined the efficacy of caspofungin for the treatment of preformed biofilms and for the prevention of C. albicans biofilm formation.

Results: We developed a relatively simple murine model of CVC-associated candidiasis that minimized the number of manipulations necessary for in vivo biofilm formation. C. albicans biofilms formed in vivo display structural features similar to those observed for models of in vitro- and other in vivo-formed biofilms. Following model development, 0.25 µg/mL of caspofungin was instilled in the catheter to treat preformed biofilms. The results indicated that caspofungin treatment significantly reduced biofilm fungal load in the catheters and dissemination to kidneys compared with untreated controls. In a second set of experiments catheters were pre-treated by filling with 60 µg/mL of caspofungin before challenge with C. albicans via the CVC. Again, the results indicated a significant reduction in biofilm fungal load and dissemination to kidneys compared with untreated controls.

Conclusions: We have developed a novel model of CVC-associated candidiasis in mice. Using this model we demonstrate the efficacy of caspofungin for the treatment and prevention of C. albicans biofilms in vivo.

Keywords: candidaemia , echinocandins , antifungals , mice


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.