Effective inhibition of Cbf-14 against Cryptococcus neoformans infection in mice and its related anti-inflammatory activity

Cbf-14 (RLLRKFFRKLKKSV), a designed peptide derived from cathelicidin family AMP, has proven to be potent against drug-resistant bacteria. In the present study, we investigated the anti-cryptococcal activity of Cbf-14 in vitro and in a pulmonary infection mouse model. Sensitivity test indicated that Cbf-14 possessed effective antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans with an MIC of 4-16 µg/ml, and killing experiments showed that fungicidal activity was achieved after only 4 h treatment with Cbf-14 at 4× MIC concentrations in vitro. Meanwhile, Cbf-14 was effective at prolonging the survival of infected mice when compared with controls, and significantly inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, suggesting its anti-inflammatory activity against fungal infections. As a positively charged peptide, Cbf-14 was proven to neutralize the negative zeta potential of the fungal cell surface, disrupt the capsule polysaccharide of fungi, and further damage cell membrane integrity. These results were confirmed by flow cytometry analysis of the fluorescence intensity after PI staining, while cell membrane damage could be clearly observed by transmission electron microscopy after Cbf-14 (4× MIC) treatment for 1 h. In addition, Cbf-14 increased the IL-10 levels in cultured RAW 264.7 cells, which were stimulated by C. neoformans infection. The obtained data demonstrated that Cbf-14 could rapidly kill C. neoformans cells in vitro, effectively inhibit C. neoformans induced-infection in mice, and inhibit inflammation in vitro / vivo. Therefore, Cbf-14 could potentially be used for the treatment of fungal infections clinically.