@article{mbs:/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.006494-0, author = "Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah and Syed, Abdul and Tomas, Salvador and Prieto-Garcia, Jose and Khan, Naveed Ahmed", title = "Effect of free versus liposomal-complexed pentamidine isethionate on biological characteristics of Acanthamoeba castellanii in vitro", journal= "Journal of Medical Microbiology", year = "2009", volume = "58", number = "3", pages = "327-330", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.006494-0", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.006494-0", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1473-5644", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "HBMECs, human brain microvascular endothelial cells", abstract = " Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic protozoan pathogen that can cause blinding keratitis and a rare but fatal encephalitis involving the central nervous system with a very poor prognosis. This is due to limited availability of effective anti-acanthamoebic drugs. Here, we tested whether the use of liposomes can improve the potency of pentamidine isethionate, an anti-amoebic compound. The liposomes consisted of l-α-phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol or ergosterol in a molar ratio of 1 : 5. Pentamidine isethionate was incorporated to achieve a final drug to lipid ratio of 1 : 5. At a drug concentration of 10 μg ml−1, the liposomal drug was >12 times more effective than the free drug at preventing Acanthamoeba binding to human cells and significantly more effective in reducing parasite-mediated human cell cytopathogenicity, compared with the drug alone. Both the free and liposomal drug blocked Acanthamoeba encystation.", }