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JAC Advance Access published online on January 6, 2003
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkg075
© 2003 by The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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© 2003 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Original article

The activity of amphotericin B against Candida albicans is not directly associated with extracellular calcium concentration

P. David Rogers 1*, Robert E. Kramer 2, Janice K. Crews 2, Russell E. Lewis 3

1 Department of Pharmacy Practice, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Microbiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216
2 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216
3 Department of Clinical Sciences and Administration, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX 77030, USA

* Corresponding author. E-mail: drogers{at}utmem.edu.

Received 12 August 2002 ; revised 22 September 2002 ; accepted 4 November 2002

Abstract

The ability of amphotericin B to increase intracellular calcium concentrations in human cells is associated with the toxicity of this antifungal agent. The present study was performed to determine whether amphotericin B affects the influx or efflux of calcium in Candida albicans, and whether the antifungal activity of amphotericin B is dependent upon extracellular calcium concentrations. Concentration-response studies demonstrated that the addition of up to 1 mM EGTA to standard growth medium, with a more than 4000-fold decrease in extracellular calcium concentration, had no effect on the activity of amphotericin B against C. albicans. Amphotericin B did affect the kinetics of calcium influx acutely (<=10 min), but had no net effect on long-term (1-24 h) calcium accumulation. Calcium efflux was also not affected by amphotericin B. These results indicate that, unlike its effects on mammalian cells, the toxicity of amphotericin B against C. albicans is not dependent upon increased movement of calcium across the cell membrane or the presence of extracellular calcium.

Keywords: amphotericin B, Candida albicans, calcium
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