Curcuminoid-Mediated Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy on a Murine Model of Oral Candidiasis

Author(s)

Mima, Ewerton Garcia de Oliveira ; Pavarina, Ana Claudia ; Jordao, Claudia Carolina ; Vieira, Sammea Martins ; Dovigo, Livia Nordi

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS; v. N/A, n. 200, p. 13-pg., 2023-10-01.

Abstract

Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) has been extensively investigated in vitro, and preclinical animal models of infections are suitable for evaluating alternative treatments prior to clinical trials. This study describes the efficacy of aPDT in a murine model of oral candidiasis. Forty mice were immunosuppressed with subcutaneous injections of prednisolone, and their tongues were inoculated using an oral swab previously soaked in a C. albicans cell suspension. Tetracycline was administered via drinking water during the course of the experiment. Five days after fungal inoculation, mice were randomly distributed into eight groups; a ninth group of untreated uninfected mice was included as a negative control (n = 5). Three concentrations (20 mu M, 40 mu M, and 80 mu M) of a mixture of curcuminoids were tested with a blue LED light (89.2 mW/cm(2); similar to 455 nm) and without light (C+L+ and C+L- groups, respectively). Light alone (C-L+), no treatment (C-L-), and animals without infection were evaluated as controls. Data were analyzed using Welch's ANOVA and Games-Howell tests (alpha = 0.05). Oral candidiasis was established in all infected animals and visualized macroscopically through the presence of characteristic white patches or pseudomembranes on the dorsum of the tongues. Histopathological sections confirmed a large presence of yeast and filaments limited to the keratinized layer of the epithelium in the C-L- group, and the presence of fungal cells was visually decreased in the images obtained from mice subjected to aPDT with either 40 mu M or 80 mu M curcuminoids. aPDT mediated by 80 mu M curcuminoids promoted a 2.47 log(10) reduction in colony counts in comparison to those in the C-L- group (p = 0.008). All other groups showed no statistically significant reduction in the number of colonies, including photosensitizer (C+L-) or light alone (C-L+) groups. Curcuminoid-mediated aPDT reduced the fungal load from the tongues of mice. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07276-1 - CEPOF - Optics and Photonic Research Center
• Grantee: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 08/00601-6 - Study of the effectiveness of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on Candida inactivation and the intracelular damage caused in yeast cells. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of two photosensitizers.
• Grantee: Lívia Nordi Dovigo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate