Open AccessStudies on the Mechanism of Action of Miconazole: Effect of Miconazole on Respiration and Cell Permeability of Candida albicans
Author(s) -
K.H. Sreedhara Swamy,
M Sirsi,
G. Ramananda Rao
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.07
H-Index - 259
eISSN - 1070-6283
pISSN - 0066-4804
DOI - 10.1128/aac.5.4.420
Subject(s) - miconazole , candida albicans , miconazole nitrate , respiration , membrane permeability , permeability (electromagnetism) , mechanism of action , corpus albicans , chemistry , biology , antifungal drug , cell , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , antifungal , membrane , in vitro , botany
The antifungal drug, miconazole nitrate, inhibits the growth of several species ofCandida. Candida albicans , one of the pathogenic species, was totally inhibited at a concentration of approximately 10 μg/ml. Endogenous respiration was unaffected by the drug at a concentration as high as 100 μg/ml, whereas exogenous respiration was markedly sensitive and inhibited to an extent of 85%. The permeability of the cell membrane was changed as evidenced by the leakage of 260-nm absorbing materials, amino acids, proteins, and inorganic cations. The results we present clearly show that the drug alters the cellular permeability, and thus the exogenous respiration becomes sensitive to the drug.