The liquid Kangfuxin (KFX) has efficient antifungal activity and can be used in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis in mice

• Published in: Letters in applied microbiology Vol. 74; no. 4; pp. 564 - 576
• Main Authors: Ma, J., Yang, Y.‐C., Su, L.‐Q., Qin, D.‐M., Yuan, K., Zhang, Y., Wang, R.‐R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Animals; antifungal; Antifungal activity; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Body weight; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - drug therapy; Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal - microbiology; Colonization; Cytokines; Female; Fluconazole; Fluconazole - pharmacology; Fluconazole - therapeutic use; Fungicides; Health services; Herbal medicine; Hyphae; Infectious diseases; Interleukins; Kangfuxin liquid; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Materia Medica - pharmacology; Materia Medica - therapeutic use; Mice; Minimum inhibitory concentration; murine model; Mycelia; Neutrophils; Signs and symptoms; Traditional Chinese medicine; vaginal candidiasis; Weight reduction; Wound healing; Candida albicans; antifungal; vaginal candidiasis; murine model; Kangfuxin liquid
• DOI: 10.1111/lam.13641
• ISSN: 0266-8254

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an infectious disease caused mainly by Candida albicans. Kangfuxin (KFX) is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation made from Periplaneta americana extracts, which promotes wound healing and enhances body immunity and also acts as an antifungal agent. Here, we evaluated the effect of KFX in the treatment of VVC in vitro and in vivo. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) of KFX against C. albicans ranged from 7·65 to 20·57%. In addition, KFX was more efficient than fluconazole (FLC) in inhibiting the drug‐resistant C. albicans, and the effect was more intense after 8 h. The KFX treatment also exhibited good activity in vivo. It restored the body weight and reduced the vulvovaginal symptoms in mice induced with VVC. It downregulated the expression of the hyphae‐related gene, HWP1, thus inhibiting the growth and development of C. albicans hyphae. It also increased the number of neutrophils and promoted the secretion of interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A); however, the levels of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) decreased in mice with VVC. We deduce that KFX effectively treats vaginal candidiasis in two ways: by inhibiting the growth and development of mycelia to reduce colonization of C. albicans and by promoting the secretion and release of IL‐17A and neutrophils in high numbers to fight C. albicans infection. This study provides a theoretical basis for the use of KFX for the clinical treatment of VVC. Significance and Impact of the Study: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an infectious disease of the female external reproductive tract, caused by the ecological imbalance in the vagina due to the influence of various pathogenic factors, which brings harm to women's physical and mental health. However, the availability of drugs is limited and the frequency of drug‐resistant Candida isolates is increasing. It is urgent to find new drugs or effective treatment strategies. We found that Kangfuxin liquid (KFX) can be used to treat VVC by reducing mycelial growth and boosting immunity, which presents a new clinical alternative.