In vivo antifungal activity of farnesol combined with antifungal drugs on oral mucosal candidiasis in mice

The antifungal resistence of oral candidiasis is a serious clinical issue. The in vivo efficacy of farnesol combined with antifungals for oral candidiasis remain unknow. The possible therapeuticeffects of a combination of farnesol and antifungal drugs and the regulation of inflammatorycytokines in murine oral candidiasis were investigated in this study. An experimental oral candidiasis model was constructed using ICR mice. Farnesol at 25 and 50 lM did not change IL-17,IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production during oral candidiasis compared with that of the control infected mice. The co-applications of farnesol (50 lM) and nystatin, farnesol (4 lM, 8 lM) and itraconazole, farnesol (25, 50 lM), and fluconazole enhanced the therapeutic activity of the antifungalagents alone against oral candidiasis. The effective combinations reduced the number of colonyforming units (CFU) of Candida albicans isolated from the oral cavity and oral lesions onthe tongue.