Journal
MYCOPATHOLOGIA
Volume 178, Issue 3-4, Pages 221-225Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11046-014-9797-6
Keywords
Photodynamic therapy; Dermatophytes; Hypericin; Trichophyton rubrum; Trichophyton mentagrophytes
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Funding
- Research Group B65 from the Department of Science, Technology and University of the Government of Aragon, Spain
- Research Group B85 from the Department of Science, Technology and University of the Government of Aragon, Spain
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Hypericin is a natural photosensitizer used in photodynamic therapy (PDT), which has shown in vitro antifungal effect against Candida spp. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro fungicidal effect of hypericin-PDT on dermatophytes. Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes strains were incubated with different concentrations of hypericin for different times and exposed to light-emitting diode lamp (602 +/- A 10 nm, 10.3 mW cm(-2), and fluence 37 J cm(-2)). Using the optimal incubation time, 60 min, a 3-log fungicidal effect was achieved with hypericin concentration ranges of 10-20 mu M for T. rubrum and 20-50 mu M for T. mentagrophytes (p = 0.95). Confocal fluorescence microscopy showed the localization of hypericin inside the dermatophytes diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm of conidia and hyphae and outside the nucleus. In conclusion, hypericin-PDT has a fungicidal effect in vitro on dermatophytes. Hypericin seems to be a promising photosensitizer to treat localized dermatophytic infections such as tinea pedis and onychomycosis.
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