Abstract: Objective To assess the effIcacy of sertraline on Cryptococcus neoformans.Methods Fungal-loaded mice were treated by fluconazole(10 mg/mL),sertraline(10 mg/mL,20 mg/mL),or fluconazole combined with sertraline(10 mg/mL & 10 mg/mL,10 mg/mL & 20 mg/mL).Drug-sensitivity tests were performed in vitro with different concentrations of sertraline and fluconazole above.Results Colony numbers of Cryptococcus neoformans decreased in vitro in sertraline group,while much more evidently in combination group of sertraline and fluconazole.In the early stage,both concentrations of sertraline could significantly decrease the colony numbers of Cryptococcus neoformans in lung and brain tissue.However,in the later stage,10 mg/mL of sertraline showed no anti-fungal effect in brain tissue.Fluconazole was superior to sertraline in lung and brain tissue,and much more efficient in antifungal therapy when combined with sertraline.Conclusions Sertraline is efficient on Cryptococcus neoformans,and may have synergistic action to fluconazole.

Key words: Cryptococcus neoformans, sertraline, in vitro, in vivo