Ibogaine reduces organ colonization in murine systemic and gastrointestinal Candida albicans infections.

The indole alkaloid ibogaine reduced mortality and fungal burden in the kidney, liver, and spleen of mice with disseminated and gastrointestinal Candida albicans infections when given intraperitoneally at 5 mg/kg/day. Ibogaine interfered with early infection stages but did not lower fungal counts during late infection. It did not alter specific immune responses, as delayed-type hypersensitivity and interferon-gamma production were similar between treated and control mice. Combining ibogaine with amphotericin B reduced organ colonization more effectively than either treatment alone.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In the present study the effect of the indole alkaloid ibogaine on the in vitro lipolytic activity and adherence to epithelial cells of Candida albicans was investigated. The substance was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 5 mg kg(-1) day(-1) in mice with disseminated and gastrointestinal C. albicans infections. Ibogaine significantly decreased the rate of mortality and the number of C. albicans c.f.u. recovered from the kidney, liver and spleen. Ibogaine interfered with the early stages of both disseminated and gastrointestinal C. albicans infections but did not reduce the number of C. albicans c.f.u. in the organs at the late phase of infections. The development of a specific immune response was not influenced by ibogaine, since the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to C. albicans and the production of interferon (IFN)-gamma were similar in control and ibogaine-treated mice. The combined use of amphotericin B plus ibogaine in the treatment of mice with gastrointestinal infection reduced organ colonization more strongly than each substance alone.