a Departments of Surgery, b Biochemistry and Biophysics, c Radiation Oncology and d Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Abstract |
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Introduction |
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The majority of work with PDT has been directed at neoplasms, with much less known about the effect of PDT on fungi. The majority of work that has been done on fungi has been performed on non-virulent organisms.2,3 Localized Aspergillus fumigatus infections in the lung, sinuses and brain are difficult to treat, frequently fatal and increasing in frequency.4 Demand for new treatments for this pathogenic organism is underscored by the emergence of drug-resistant strains.4 This report details the effects of PDT on A. fumigatus in an in vitro system.
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Materials and methods |
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Green 2W [Pd Ph4TBP(SO3Na)n, n = 48] (see Figure) was synthesized as described previously.5 A variant of Green 2W that lacked the palladium moiety was also tested.
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Light treatments and dosimetry measurements were performed in a custom-designed apparatus that allowed simultaneous, and equal, illumination of thirty 12 x 75 mm polystyrene tubes (Falcon, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA). Five Watts of 630 nm light (Laserscope, San Jose, CA, USA) was delivered through a 3 cm cylindrical diffusing fibre (600 micron; Cardiofocus, West Yarmouth, MA, USA). Light dosimetry measurements were performed with a calibrated isotropic detector (Cardiofocus) placed inside a tube filled with fungal growth medium (RPMI 1640). Light dosage ranged from 0 to 440 J/cm2, delivered in 55 J/cm2 fractions (630 nm light at a fluence of 60 mW/cm2). Zero (no dose) to eight (maximum dose) fractions were delivered at 12 h intervals.
Organism
An isolate of A. fumigatus was obtained from a respiratory sample of a patient seen at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The fungus was identified according to conventional methods and was maintained in RPMI 1640 medium (pH 7.0).6 Culture tubes were incubated in the dark at 35°C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere, loose-capped and taped for gas exchange. Tubes were removed from these culture conditions during light treatments, which were performed at room temperature, and were then returned during the 12 h intervals between light dose fractions.
Experimental conditions
Four groups were tested in each experiment: (i) no light/ no drug; (ii) +light/no drug; (iii) no light/+drug; and (iv) +light/+drug. The concentration of Green 2W in the +drug experiments was 31.5 mg/L. Green 2W without palladium was also tested at the same concentration.
The density of fungal cultures was measured spectrophotometrically and adjusted to 80% transmittance at 530 nm.7 A stock culture of 2.7 x 107 cfu/mL was prepared for each experimental condition. Serial dilutions were performed to give cultures with initial inoculum concentrations ranging from 2.7 x 101 to 2.7 x 107 cfu/mL. Control samples from each dilution were grown to assure inoculation and organism viability. Experimental tubes were incubated under growth conditions for 3 h before the initial light treatment.
Upon completion of the final light treatments, all tubes were returned to the culture conditions for 72 h, after which time they were scored for growth versus no growth by visual inspection. By 72 h all tubes demonstrated either dense confluent growth or remained completely clear. Tubes that showed no-growth after 72 h were further tested as described below.
Fungicidal versus fungistatic activity of Green 2W
To determine whether the treatments were fungicidal or fungistatic, treated tubes were used to inoculate fresh cultures. Aliquots of 100 µL from the no growth tubes that received the lowest light doses were used to seed three separate cultures containing 10 mL of fresh, drug-free medium. These were then incubated for 4 days at which time no visible growth in any of the new cultures was considered evidence of fungicidal effect in the original no-growth tube.
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Results and discussion |
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Acknowledgments |
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Notes |
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References |
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Received 16 August 2000; returned 2 January 2001; revised 9 February 2001; accepted 19 March 2001