Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 31, 2026

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds
08:54

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds

Published on: February 14, 2018

Pentamidine is active in vitro against Fusarium species

Michail S Lionakis1, Russell E Lewis, George Samonis

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|September 25, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Pentamidine (PNT) shows significant antifungal activity against Fusarium species, including fungicidal effects on non-Fusarium solani isolates. This suggests PNT may be a potential treatment for emerging fusariosis infections.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Fusariosis is an emerging opportunistic mycosis with limited treatment options.
  • Current antifungals exhibit restricted activity against Fusarium species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the in vitro antifungal activity of pentamidine (PNT) against clinical isolates of Fusarium species.
  • To determine the efficacy of PNT against both Fusarium solani and non-F. solani isolates.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro testing using microdilution, disk diffusion, and viability dye staining.
  • Evaluation of PNT activity against 10 clinical Fusarium isolates in various media and conditions.
  • Microscopic confirmation of fungicidal activity using fluorescent viability dyes.

Main Results:

  • Pentamidine demonstrated significant activity against all tested Fusarium isolates.
  • Non-F. solani isolates were more susceptible to PNT than F. solani isolates.
  • PNT exhibited fungicidal activity against non-F. solani isolates and was more effective against conidial development and in hypoxic conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Pentamidine shows promising in vitro activity against Fusarium species, with notable fungicidal effects.
  • The observed MICs and MFCs suggest PNT could be effective at concentrations achievable in human tissues.
  • Pentamidine may represent a potential therapeutic agent for managing fusariosis, warranting further in vivo investigation.

More Related Videos

Measuring Volatile and Non-volatile Antifungal Activity of Biocontrol Products06:47

Measuring Volatile and Non-volatile Antifungal Activity of Biocontrol Products

Published on: December 5, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Anthelminthic Agents01:15

Anthelminthic Agents

Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...
Cryptococcal Meningitis01:27

Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
Fungal Phylum Ascomycota01:28

Fungal Phylum Ascomycota

Phylum Ascomycota, a major division within the subkingdom Dikarya, comprises a diverse range of fungal species, including both unicellular yeasts and filamentous molds such as Aspergillus and Penicillium. These fungi thrive in a variety of habitats, from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial environments, playing crucial ecological and economic roles.Morphology and ReproductionThe defining characteristic of Ascomycetes, commonly referred to as sac fungi, is the ascus—a sac-like structure that...