Schaller M, Krnjaic N, Niewerth M, Hamm G, Hube B, Korting HC (2003): Effect of antimycotic agents on the activity of aspartyl proteinases (Saps) secreted by Candida albicans
J. Med. Microbiol. 52: 247-249.

The inhibitory effect of the HIV proteinase inhibitor amprenavir, saquinavir and of the antifungal agents terbinafine, ketoconazole, amphotericin B and ciclopiroxolamine on aspartyl proteinases (Saps) secreted by Candida albicans was tested in an in vitro spectophotometric assay. As expected, both HIV proteinase inhibitors showed a significant inhibitory effect on Sap activity which was comparable to that of the classical aspartyl proteinase inhibitor pepstatin A (p < 0.001). Antifungal drugs such as ketoconazole, terbinafine and amphotericin had no or only minor inhibitory effects on the proteolytic activity. In contrast, a significant reduction of Sap activity could be demonstrated during treatment with the antifungal agent ciclopiroxolamine (p < 0.001). These results point to a multiple effect of this antimycotic agent and might explain the previously demonstrated reduced adherence of C. albicans to human epithelial cells at subinhibitory doses.