RESUMO
The high incidence of Candida albicans infections has raised concerns regarding side effects and drug resistance, compounded by a limited number of alternative drugs. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have prominent antimicrobial activity, but effective administration remains a challenge. In this study, AgNPs were synthesized via a green chemistry approach, using glucose as a reducing agent, and incorporated into an agar matrix to form a film (AgFilm). The AgNPs and AgFilm were characterized by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopic (AFM). The UV-Vis spectra of the AgNPs and AgFilm showed bands at 415 and 413 nm, respectively. The PXRD and UV-Vis data suggest that the growth of AgNPs was effectively inhibited in the AgFilm. The diameter of AgNPs dispersed in AgFilm was 76 ± 42 nm, and the thickness of the film and 35 ± 3 µm. The antifungal activity of AgFilm was evaluated against 20 strains of C. albicans, demonstrating high antifungal activity with an inhibition zone of 19 ± 2 mm. Therefore, AgFilm could be a promising option for the treatment of superficial C. albicans infections.
Assuntos
Antifúngicos , Nanopartículas Metálicas , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Prata/farmacologia , Nanopartículas Metálicas/química , Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura , Extratos Vegetais/química , Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier , Antibacterianos/farmacologiaRESUMO
Polymorphisms in genes encoding enzymes of folate metabolism are a focus of breast cancer risk studies due of the role of these enzymes in DNA methylation, synthesis, and repair. MTHFR, encoding for 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, is one of the most studied genes in this regard, but findings are controversial, and the majority of studies have analyzed polymorphisms individually. In this case control study, we examined the combination of the polymorphisms MTHFR C677T and A1298C with MTR A2756G, where MTR, methionine synthase, is an important enzyme of the folate cycle in the methylation pathway. One hundred and forty-two patients with breast cancer and controls were included and the genotypes were determined using PCR-RFLP. In the population studied, individuals carrying the polymorphic allele in the heterozygous state for both enzymes, MTHFR C677T and MTR A2756G, had an increased risk [odds ratio, OR=2.77 (95% confidence interval, CI=1.19-6.52)] for disease, compared to those with the wild genotype. In addition, individuals carrying the MTR 2756 genotype AG had an increased risk when this was combined with the MTHFR 1298 genotype CC [OR=5.13 (95% CI=0.87-38.82)]. No significant results were found from the analyses associating the MTHFR C677T and A1298C genotypes. However, when stratifying the patients by age (50 years old as the cut-off), patients over 50 years old had greater risk, with the presence of both MTHFR polymorphisms in the heterozygous state [OR=5.33 (95% CI=1.42-21.03)]. This study points out the importance of the interactions between the MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C and MTR A2756G polymorphisms, and also highlights the relevance of the MTR A2756G polymorphism and age in breast cancer risk.