Lactoferrin peptide increases the survival of Candida albicans-inoculated mice by upregulating neutrophil and macrophage functions, especially in combination with amphotericin B and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Regulation of fungal infection by a combination of amphotericin B and peptide 2, a lactoferrin peptide that activates neutrophils.

To establish a novel strategy for the control of fungal infection, we examined the antifungal and neutrophil-activating activities of antimicrobial peptides. The duration of survival of 50% of mice injected with a lethal dose of Candida albicans (5 x 10(8) cells) or Aspergillus fumigatus (1 x 10(8) cells) was prolonged 3 to 5 days by the injection of 10 microg of peptide 2 (a lactoferrin peptid...

Expression and Secretion of Human Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor Using Escherichia coli Enterotoxin I Signal Sequence

With the aim of the secretion of human granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) in Escherichia coli, hGM-CSF cDNA was fused in-frame next to the signal sequence of ST toxin (ST-I) of exteroxigenic E. coli, containing 53 or 19 amino acids of signal peptide. The fused STsig::hGM-CSF coding fragments were inserted into a T7-based expression plasmid. The recombinant plasmids were ...

Therapeutic efficacy of human macrophage colony-stimulating factor, used alone and in combination with antifungal agents, in mice with systemic Candida albicans infection.

We examined the in vivo activity of human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hM-CSF) against lethal Candida albicans infection in mice. In C. albicans-infected mice which had been immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide, treatment with hM-CSF at a daily dose of 8 x 10(5) units/kg of body weight or greater slightly but significantly prolonged survival. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy of ...

Comparison of T7- and Lac-Based Systems for the Periplasmic Expression of Human Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor in Escherichia coli

Antimicrobial peptide hLF1-11 directs granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-driven monocyte differentiation toward macrophages with enhanced recognition and clearance of pathogens.

The human lactoferrin-derived peptide hLF1-11 displays antimicrobial activities in vitro and is effective against infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans in animals. However, the mechanisms underlying these activities remain largely unclear. Since hLF1-11 is ineffective in vitro at physiological salt concentrations, we suggested modulation of the...