Cetylpyridinium Chloride Induces Resistance Genes in Candida Albicans

Abstract

Aim: The antimicrobial cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is used in the management of denture stomatitis-associated oral candidiasis as an alternative therapy as well as for oral hygiene. Cetylpyridinium chloride survives in the oral cavity for long periods at low doses, which fluctuates due to the dynamics of the oral cavity. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the impact of different sub-therapeutic CPC concentrations (1/100, 1/200) for different time periods (0.,5., 2., 24., 48. h) on the expression of drug-resistance genes (CDR1, CDR2, MDR1, ERG11) in Candida albicans SC5314. Method: Total RNA was extracted immediately after antimicrobial exposure using the Biospeedy® Tri-Easy Isolation Kit followed by Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The data were analyzed by the comparative 2-ΔΔCT method to calculate the relative expression of the target genes after treatment with different CPC concentrations, standardized to the housekeeping gene Actin. Results: In this study, it was found that the drug resistance gene expression levels increased after exposure to high CPC concentrations (1/100) for 48 h, whereas the gene expression levels were downregulated at 1/200. Conclusion: These results may provide an insight into the mechanisms of action of drug-resistance genes in Candida albicans and aid the development of future strategies for using CPC as an alternative therapy.