Fluconazole (FLC) tolerance increases the frequency of acquired FLC resistance, and a high FLC tolerance level is associated with persistent candidemia. Multiple functional proteins, such as calcineurin, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), and ADP ribosylation factor, are essential for the survival of
C. albicans
exposed to FLC, but how these factors increase the fungicidal activity of FLC remains to be determined.
The introduction of phosphine oxide into a fluorescein scaffold has yielded phospha-fluorescein with bathochromically shifted spectra, reliable photostability and solubility.
A series of triazole derivatives containing phenylethynyl pyrazole moiety as side chain were designed, synthesized, and most of them exhibited good in vitro antifungal activities. Especially, compounds 5k and 6c showed excellent in vitro activities against C. albicans (MIC = 0.125, 0.0625 μg/mL), C. neoformans (MIC = 0.125, 0.0625 μg/mL), and A. fumigatus (MIC = 8.0, 4.0 μg/mL). Compound 6c also exerted superior activity to compound 5k and fluconazole in inhibiting hyphae growth of C. albicans and inhibiting drug-resistant strains of C. albicans, and it could reduce fungal burdens in mice kidney at a dosage of 1.0 mg/kg. An in vivo efficacy evaluation indicated that 6c could effectively protect mice models from C. albicans infection at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg. These results suggested that compound 6c deserves further investigation.
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