The opportunistic fungal Candida albicans is able to produce both superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a process that combines visible light and a photosensitizer, producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can kill the treated cells and has been presented as a potential antimicrobial therapy. In this work, we study the effects of PACT, using toluidine blue (TB) as a photosensitizer drug, on ROS production and cell damage and the ability of C. albicans to form biofilm. A significant decrease was observed in the cell growth after PACT in a TB concentration-dependent manner. This effect was dependent on the incubation time after PACT. In addition, an increase in both the ROS production and cell permeability, after PACT, in a TB concentration-dependent manner was observed. PACT, using 0.1 mg/ml TB was able to reduce biofilm formation in 30, 50, and 62%, in cells submitted to incubation times of 1, 2, and 3 h, respectively. These results suggested that PACT, using TB, is able to decrease both growth and biofilm formation by C. albicans, possibly by a mechanism evolving both ROS production and the increase in the cell permeability.
The present findings highlight the importance of a complete medical evaluation of the patient by anamnesis to identify possible oral repercussions of primary diseases in other organs and/or systems.
The increase in PGE2 production by microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in CNS contributes to the severity of the inflammatory and pain responses in the model of edema formation and hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan. PGI2, alike to PGE2, plays an important role in the inflammation. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used in the treatment of inflammatory pathologies, reducing both pain and the acute inflammatory process. In this work, we studied the effect of LLLT on the expression of both mPGES-1 and IP messenger RNA (mRNA), in either subplantar or total brain tissues obtained from rats submitted to model of edema formation and hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan administration. The test sample consisted of 30 rats divided into five groups: A1 (control-saline), A2 (carrageenan-0.5 mg/paw), A3 (carrageenan-0.5 mg/paw + LLLT), A4 (carrageenan-1.0 mg/paw), and A5 (carrageenan-1.0 mg/paw + LLLT). The animals from groups A3 and A5 were irradiated 1 h after induction of inflammation by carrageenan injection. Continuous-wave red laser with wavelengths of 660 nm and dose of 7.5 J/cm(2) was used. Six hours after carrageenan-induced inflammation, mPGES-1 and prostacyclin receptor (IP) mRNA expression were significantly increased both in subplantar and brain tissues. LLLT was able to reduce both mPGES-1 and IP mRNA expression in subplantar and brain tissues. We suggest that LLLT is able to reduce both inflammation and hyperalgesia observed in the model of edema formation and hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan, by a mechanism involving the decrease in the expression of both mPGES-1 and IP.
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