Antimycotic sterol biosynthesis inhibitors

Study the structure and thermal properties of carboxymethylated-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex with bifonazole

Recently, many technological methods of enhancing the solubility and dissolution characteristics of poorly water soluble drugs have been reported in the literature. Сyclodextrins are able to form water-soluble non-covalent inclusion complexes with many poorly soluble lipophilic drugs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possibility of interaction of the antifungal drug Bifonazole (BFZ) through complexation with carboxymethylated-β-cyclodextrin (КМ-β-CD). Based on the data obtained, we can conclude that the presence of KM-β-CD improves solubilization of BFZ more than 50 times. Кеуwords: cyclodextrins, solubility, poorly-water soluble drugs, bifonazole.

Effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) on testicular function of mice with chemically and physically induced subfertility

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) in chemically and physically subfertile mice. After 35 days, the following groups of mice were evaluated: control, sham, chemical subfertility, chemical subfertility-maca-supplemented, physical subfertility, physical subfertility-maca-supplemented and maca-supplemented only. Motility (32.36% ± 5.34%) and sperm count (44.4 ± 5.37 × 10(6) /ml) in the chemically and physically subfertile mice (11.81% ± 4.06%, 17.34 ± 13.07 × 10(6) /ml) decreased compared to the control (75.53% ± 2.97% and 57.4 ± 19.6 10(6) /ml) and sham (53.5% ± 7.86% and 58.4 ± 14.10 10(6) /ml). Maca was able to reverse the deleterious effect of motility (76.36 ± 1.97) as well as sperm count (53.5 ± 9.18 × 10(6) /ml) on chemical subfertility. In contrast, maca did not reverse the effects of induced physical subfertility nor motility (18.78% ± 14.41%) or sperm count (20.17 ± 11.20 × 10(6) /ml). The percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation in the physically subfertile mice increased (11.1% ± 19.29%) compared to the control (0.84% ± 0.85%). However, in the physically subfertile group, maca decreased sperm DNA fragmentation (2.29% ± 2.30%) closer to the sham (1.04% ± 0.62%) and the control (0.84% ± 0.85%). The group supplemented only with maca showed 0.54% ± 0.50% of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation. Yet, the differences observed were statistically not significant. In conclusion, it appears that maca activates the cytochrome P450 system after chemically induced subfertility. However, it does not reverse the low mitochondrial membrane potential in spermatozoa compromised in the physical subfertility group.

Effect of anti-fungal imidazoles on mRNA levels and enzyme activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase

1. Experiments were performed to examine the effects of anti-fungal imidazole compounds (clotrimazole, econazole and miconazole) on the induction of nitric oxide (NO) synthase and subsequent production of NO in the cultured murine monocyte/macrophage cell line J774 using a specific cDNA probe for inducible NO synthase mRNA and by monitoring nitrite production. 2. Stimulation of J774 cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 micrograms ml-1) resulted in the induction of NO synthase activity as determined by nitrite accumulation in the culture medium (48 +/- 3 nmol per 10(6) cells over 24 h). Production of nitrite was inhibited by co-incubation of cells with LPS (10 micrograms ml-1) and either dexamethasone (10 microM) or NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 0.1 mM), however, only L-NMMA was an effective inhibitor of nitrite production when added after induction of NO synthase had occurred. 3. Co-incubation of J774 cells with LPS (10 micrograms ml-1) and either clotrimazole, econazole or miconazole (1-10 microM) resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of nitrite production over the subsequent 24 h without any evidence for a cytotoxic effect. However, addition of these imidazoles after induction of NO synthase did not inhibit nitrite production. 4. Messenger RNA for inducible NO synthase was not detected in unstimulated J774 cells. Treatment with LPS (10 micrograms ml-1) for 4 h resulted in significant expression of mRNA for inducible NO synthase which was not altered in the presence of econazole (10 microM) but was reduced significantly by dexamethasone (10 microM). 5. These results demonstrate that anti-fungal imidazoles inhibit the production of nitric oxide by cultured J774 cells by a mechanism which appears to differ from that of dexamethasone and substrate type inhibitors of NO synthase. Furthermore, the presence of mRNA for NO synthase does not indicate the presence of functionally active NO synthase.

Direct interaction of antifungal azole-derivatives with calmodulin: a possible mechanism for their therapeutic activity

Azole derivatives, such as ketoconazole and bifonazole, are well-established antifungal drugs. Recently, these compounds have been reported to have therapeutic efficacy also in inflammatory skin disorders. There is increasing evidence that calmodulin is involved in fungal infections as well as in inflammatory skin diseases. Therefore, we investigated the effects of various antifungal drugs on calmodulin activity, using calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase as an indicator for the calmodulin activity. All azole derivatives tested competitively inhibited calmodulin activity with 50% inhibitory concentration values in the low micromolar range. In contrast, antifungal drugs belonging to other chemical classes did not display inhibitory activity. Thus, this study provides evidence that direct interaction with calmodulin might contribute to the therapeutic activity of azole derivatives, particularly to their efficacy in the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of two new antimycotic agents, 1-[(5-chloro-2-benzofuranyl)(2-chlorophenyl)methyl]-1H-imidazole and 1-[(5-bromo-2-benzofuranyl)phenylmethyl]-1H-imidazole, in rabbit plasma following topical administration: a preliminary comparison with bifonazole

A method for the analysis of the antimycotic drugs 1-[(5-chloro-2-benzofuranyl)(2-chlorophenyl)methyl]-1H-imidazole, 1-[(5-bromo-2-benzofuranyl)phenylmethyl]-1H-imidazole and bifonazole in rabbit plasma, employing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring, was developed. The procedure involved single-step purification of the biological matrix via liquid-liquid extraction on Extrelut columns and use of a carrier substance to minimize the negative effects of adsorption sites during the gas chromatographic process. The limits of detection ranged from 0.1 to 1.4 ng/ml, starting from a 200-microliter sample. The method was applied to a preliminary evaluation of percutaneous absorption of both drugs in the rabbit after a single administration, in comparison with bifonazole.

Inhibition of human hepatic and placental xenobiotic monooxygenases by imidazole antimycotics

Three imidazole antimycotic drugs, ketoconazole, clotrimazole and miconazole, were studied to characterize the inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECDE) and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (ERDE) activities in human liver and placenta in vitro in comparison with liver enzymes from control, phenobarbital (PB) and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) pretreated rats. All three compounds inhibited rat liver enzymes, although MC pretreatment seemed to lead to a resistance of inhibition relative to PB-treated and control animals. There were large differences in the extent of inhibition of human hepatic and placental activities. Furthermore, while the type of inhibition of the hepatic ERDE was competitive or mixed, that of the placental enzyme cannot be described in ordinary terms of inhibition kinetics. Ketoconazole and clotrimazole were relatively potent inhibitors of maternal cigarette smoking-induced placental ECDE activities (IC50 values from 0.5 microM to 5 microM), whereas much less inhibition of the placental AHH activity was obtained with ketoconazole and miconazole (IC50 values from 50 microM to 500 microM). In most cases, hepatic enzymes were less sensitive to antimycotics than placental activities. This was in contrast with results from rat enzyme studies, in which MC pretreatment seemed to decrease the inhibitory response.