Adhesion of Candida biofilm cells to human epithelial cells and polystyrene after treatment with silver nanoparticles

This study investigated the adhesion to human epithelial cells and polystyrene surface of viable yeasts recovered from Candida biofilms treated with silver nanoparticles (SN). Biofilm resuspended Candida cells were added to HeLa cells or to empty wells of microtiter plates and the adhesion was verified using crystal violet staining. The adhesion of Candida cells was significantly reduced, mainly when biofilms were pretreated with 54 μg/mL SN. These new findings allow to conclude that SN may induce changes in viable yeasts, which can decrease the dissemination of Candida infections, mainly in susceptible patients.We thank Dr. David Williams (Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK) for providing the strain 324LA/94, and George Duchow for the English review. Silver colloidal nanoparticles used herein were prepared by LIEC-CMDMC and INCTMN/FAPESP-CNPq, Sao Carlos, Brazil. This study was supported by CAPES (grant BEX 1221/10-8) and FAPESP (2009/15146-5), Brazil