Exam II: Antifungals Flashcards
Yeast (Fungi). Three characteristics.
- Unicellular
- Round or oval (smooth, flat colonies)
- Grow by budding
Molds (Fungi). Three characteristics.
- Multicellular
- Appear fuzzy and threadlike
- Grow by branching and longitudinal extension
What is a dimorphic fungi?
Can exist as either a yeast or a mold depending on environmental conditions such as temperature.
Diseases caused by fungi are called what?
Mycoses
Two classifications of fungal infections.
Superficial infections (ie. Skin, hair or nails)
Invasive infections
Candida spp. fungi can cause superficial and/or invasive infections?
Both
Cryptococcus spp. can cause superficial and/or invasive infections?
Invasive infections
Aspergillus spp. can cause superficial and/or invasive infections?
Most common cause of
invasive mold infections
Polyenes nomenclature.
Amphotericin B
Why were lipid formulations of polyenes developed?
Decrease toxicity
Moa of polyenes “Amphotericin B “.
Bind to fungal membrane and suck out ergosterol which leads to fungal cell death.
Clinical use for polyenes.
Serious and life-threatening fungal infections in hospitalized patients
Amphotericin B treats all three types of fungi.
True/False
True
Yeasts, molds, dimorphic fungi
Imidazoles vs Triazoles
Imidazoles - 2 nitrogens in azole ring, tend to be topical bc more toxic IV or PO
Triazoles - 3 nitrogens in azole, tend to be systemic agents
Azoles moa.
Inhibit an enzyme called lanosterol 14α-demethylase (converts lanosterol to ergosterol)
Leads to toxic sterols in the fungal cell membrane which leads to fungal cell death and hindered growth
