Pioglitazone as an adjuvant of amphotericin B for the treatment of cryptococcosis.

Approximately 180,000 people worldwide die from cryptococcosis each year, probably due to the ineffectiveness and toxicity of drugs currently available to treat the disease. Amphotericin B (AMB) is effective for killing the fungus, but has serious adverse effects linked to excessive production of reactive oxygen species which compromise renal function. Pioglitazone (PIO) is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonist widely repositioned as an adjuvant of various drugs that have toxic effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.