Fig. 2.

A synergistic effect of calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA) on increasing susceptibility of C. albicans isolates to fluconazole. C. albicans isolates were cultured in 96-well plates with indicated concentration of FLC or a combination of the indicated concentration of FLC and 75 μg/mL of CsA for 24 h or 48 h. The inhibition of fungi growth was accessed in terms of a XTT assay and fluorescent microscopy. a CsA significantly enhances FLC-induced inhibition of the growth of C. albicans biofilm-producing isolates at 24 h post-incubation, as compared with FLC alone. Compared with FLC alone group, *: p < 0.05; **: p < 0.01. Data in A represented the mean ± SD from three independent triplicated experiments (N = 9). b, c. Representative images of biofilm formation of a HLF C. albicans isolate for culturing at indicated time, as determined by a fluorescent microscopy assay. b. Untreated group. c. FLC+CsA treated group. In comparison with the untreated group (b), a combination of 75 μg/mL of CsA and 32 μg/mL of FLC dramatically inhibited the cell growth and biofilm formation (c)