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To evaluate the synergy of the Burkholderia signaling molecule cis -2-dodecenoic acid (BDSF) and fluconazole (FLU) or itraconazole (ITRA) against two azole-resistant C. albicans clinical isolates in vitro and in vivo. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics against two azole-resistant C. albicans were measured by the checkerboard technique, E-test, and time-kill assay. In vivo antifungal synergy testing was performed on mice. Analysis of the relative gene expression levels of the strains was conducted by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). BDSF showed highly synergistic effects in combination with FLU or ITRA with a fractional inhibitory concentration index of ≤ 0.08. BDSF was not cytotoxic to normal human foreskin fibroblast cells at concentrations of up to 300 µg/mL. The qRT-PCR results showed that the combination of BDSF and FLU/ITRA significantly inhibits the expression of the efflux pump genes CDR1 and MDR1 via suppression of the transcription factors TAC1 and MRR1 , respectively, when compared with FLU or ITRA alone. No dramatic difference in the mRNA expression levels of ERG1 , ERG11 , and UPC2 was found, which indicates that the drug combinations do not significantly interfere with UPC2 -mediated ergosterol levels. In vivo experiments revealed that combination therapy can be an effective therapeutic approach to treat candidiasis. The synergistic effects of BDSF and azoles may be useful as an alternative approach to control azole-resistant Candida infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy of cis -2-dodecenoic acid (BDSF) in the treatment and prevention of vaginal candidiasis in vivo. Methods The activities of different concentrations of BDSF against the virulence factors of Candida albicans (C. albicans) were determined in vitro. An experimental mouse model of Candida vaginitis was treated with 250 μmol/L BDSF. Treatment efficiency was evaluated in accordance with vaginal fungal burden and inflammation symptoms. Results In vitro experiments indicated that BDSF attenuated the adhesion and damage of C. albicans to epithelial cells by decreasing phospholipase secretion and blocking filament formation. Treatment with 30 μmol/L BDSF reduced the adhesion and damage of C. albicans to epithelial cells by 36.9% and 42.3%, respectively. Treatment with 200 μmol/L BDSF completely inhibited phospholipase activity. In vivo mouse experiments demonstrated that BDSF could effectively eliminate vaginal infection and relieve inflammatory symptoms. Four days of treatment with 250 μmol/L BDSF reduced vaginal fungal loads by 6-fold and depressed inflammation. Moreover, BDSF treatment decreased the expression levels of the inflammatory chemokine-associated genes MCP-1 and IGFBP3 by 2.5- and 2-fold, respectively. Conclusion BDSF is a novel alternative drug that can efficiently control vaginal candidiasis by inhibiting the virulence factors of C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The reaction of Zn(II) ions and chelidamic acid (2,6-dicarboxy-4-hydroxypyridine) gave a novel 1D coordination polymer, [Zn3(C7H2NO5)2·8(H2O)] n (1), which are characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. The crystal structure of 1 reveals that Zn(II) centers are linked via chelidamic acid to form one-dimensional chains, further linked by hydrogen bonds to form a 3-D network. The optical properties were investigated in terms of diffuse reflectance and fluorescent spectra, which exhibit strong green luminescence. The electronic band structure along with the density of states (DOS) calculated by the DFT method indicate that compound 1 is a semiconductor and that the origin of the emission band may be mainly ascribed to ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) where the electrons are transferred from the O-2p to C-2p states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Facile method: The catalysts were synthesized by facile hydrothermal method without any templates. [•] Good properties: 20BBM exhibits the best property of degradations of 2,4-DNP among the reported catalysts. [•] Effect of H2O2: H2O2 improving the activity of photodegradation of 2,4-DNP is firstly demonstrated. [•] New mechanism: New photocatalytic mechanisms for the heterostructured composites are proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] New photocatalyst: The catalyst is the first ternary heterostructured composite containing Bi2MoO6. [•] Facile method: The catalysts were synthesized by facile solvothermal method without any templates. [•] Controllable syntheses: Their composition, structure and morphology can be controlled by ethanol and TiO2 loading. [•] Good photocatalytic properties: 5TBM exhibits the best photocatalytic activity for the degradations of RhB and o-nitrophenol. [•] New mechanism: A new photocatalytic mechanism for the heterostructured composites was proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The complete molecule of the title compound, C(5)H(6)O(4)S(3), is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry with the C=S group lying on the rotation axis. The molecules are linked through weak hydrogen-bond contacts by glide-plane operations to form R(2) (2)(20) rings and ladder-like C(4) chains along the c axis.