Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Fig. 1.
Elution of C. albicans from a cellulose acetate filter perfused with medium in the biofilm fermentor at a rate of 1.12 ml min−1. Organisms eluted during the initial 80 min correspond to loosely attached cells. Thereafter, newly formed daughter cells are eluted under steady-state conditions. The results are from a representative experiment repeated at least three times.
- Fig. 2.
Determination of the critical medium flow rate for aC. albicans biofilm in the perfused biofilm fermentor. The number of daughter cells released from the biofilm increased with flow up to 1.7 ml min−1. This represents the critical medium flow rate at which the growth rate is maximum (μmax). The results are from a typical experiment repeated at least three times.
- Fig. 3.
Relationship between flow rate and growth rate for aC. albicans biofilm in the perfused biofilm fermentor up to the critical medium flow rate (1.7 ml min−1).
- Fig. 4.
Scanning electron micrograph of a C. albicans biofilm grown on a cellulose acetate filter in a perfused biofilm fermentor. The growth rate was 0.2 h−1. Bar, 10 μm.
- Fig. 5.
Perfusion of C. albicans biofilms with antifungal agents. Biofilms were maintained at a growth rate of 0.2 h−1 and were perfused with medium containing amphotericin B (○), flucytosine (■), ketoconazole (□), fluconazole (▴), or no antifungal agent (•). The antifungal agents were used at the following concentrations (20 times the MIC): amphotericin B, 26 μg ml−1; flucytosine, 4 μg ml−1; fluconazole, 8 μg ml−1; and ketoconazole, 0.5 μg ml−1. Results represent mean values from two independent experiments carried out with duplicate samples. SEs were less than 10% of the mean values. The viable counts of eluates from biofilms perfused with amphotericin B were zero after 225 min.
- Fig. 6.
Perfusion of C. albicans biofilms grown at different rates with amphotericin B. Biofilms were maintained at a growth rate of 0.02 h−1 (○), 0.2 h−1 (■), or 0.4 h−1 (□). Control biofilms (•) were grown at a rate of 0.2 h−1 in medium without amphotericin B. Results represent mean values from two independent experiments carried out with duplicate samples. SEs were less than 10% of the mean values.
- Fig. 7.
Survival of planktonic and biofilm cells ofC. albicans grown at different rates after treatment with amphotericin B. Intact biofilms (□), resuspended biofilm cells (■), biofilm daughter cells (○), and planktonic cells (•) were exposed to amphotericin B for 1 h, and the percent survival was estimated by determining the viable counts. Results represent mean values (± standard error of the mean) from two independent experiments with viable counts determined in triplicate.
