Tohoku
J. exp.
Med.,
1978,
126, 173-175
Systemic
Candidiasis
Produced
Candida
Administration
in
by
Oral
Mice
TAKUSEI UMENAI
Central Clinical Laboratory, Medicine, Sendai 980
UMEANI, in
T.
Mice.
infection
from
was
undetectable
oral
Candida
defence
J.
the
Candidiasis
exp.
Med.,
the
blood,
combined 5 days
even
became
after
oral
under
of
Candida
Oral
liver
in or
condition in
the
antibiotics,
Candida
Administration
173-175 „ŸSystemic
examined
spleen,
detectable
treatment
(2),
was
lungs,
by
126
tract
administration but
Produced 1978,
gastrointestinal in
system,
received and
Systemic
Tohoku
Tohoku University School of
liver
of
severe
and
x-ray
Candida
kidneys
of
albicans
mice
24
damage
kidneys and
hr
after
the
host
when
they
to
of mice
irradiation
administration.„Ÿ
Candida
mice.
dexamethasone
candida;
candida
3
infection
The systemic candidiasis is a serious problem in debilitated patients (Louria et al. 1962; Eras et al. 1972). However, the infection routes or the mechanism of induction of systemic infection are still not clear. The role of Candida coloniza tion in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as a cause of systemic candidiasis should be examined, as Candida is known to be a normal inhabitant of the human GIT and candidemia caused by persorption from the GIT has been reported in both animals and man (Fisher 1930; Deicke and Gemeinhardt 1968; Krause et al. 1969). The present experiment was designed to examine the persorption of Candida albicans (C. albicans) from the GIT in mice and to clarify the mechanism of induction of systemic infection by Candida in the GIT. MATERIALS AND METHODS 6-week-old 40
mice
described the
female
each. in
in to
Ishida
albicans
1. of
C.
was 1977)
phosphate the
mice
Table
colonization
(200 ƒÊg/mouse) and
DDI
The
(1•~101
from
the
approximately to
in to
the
suppress
the
on
Sabouraud's
saline
(pH
7.2)
heart,
lungs,
and
liver,
0.1
ml
orally
(30
of
24 the
day
after
the
spleen
and
kidneys
C. hr
into
at
R)
7 groups the
was
to
enhance
dexamethasone (Umenai
and
suspended
administered Viable
made
at
of
schedules
(U-1-50)
collected
treatments. were
or
albicans
37•Ž,
suspension
to
mg/mouse)
(600
activity. for
divided
according
irradiation
defence
and
one
given
x-ray
agar
g were
treatments
was GIT,
grown
cells/mouse)
20
various
Aminobenzylpenicillin
given
was
weighing subjected
albicans
buffered
mice
mice were
various
orally counts
of times
C. as
scheduled.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results
are shown
blood or organs Received
of mice
in Tables of any
for publication,
1 and 2.
of the
January
7 groups
25, 1978. 173
C. albicans
was not detected
24 hr after
the oral administration.
in the
174
T. Umenai
TABLE1. Incidence of positive cultures of C. albieans in the organs of mice after oral C. albicans administration
* Hours culture. ??
after
inoculation
Number
of
mice
. •õ
Days
examined.
after 9 C.
inoculation. •ö albicans
was
Number detected
of in
the
mice kidneys
with
positive and
liver.
TABLE 2.
Number of viable Candida cells in organs of mice received combined treatments of antibiotics, x-ray irradiation and dexamethasone
* Number
of viable
Candida
cells per organ .
However, it became detectable in the liver and kidneys of mice when they received combination treatments of antibiotics, x-ray irradiation and dexamethasone 3 and 5 days after oral Candida administration. Candida in the GIT is thought to cause systemic infection in two ways; the first is the persorption through the intestinal wall, which usually occurs between 1/2 and 4 hr after oral Candida administration, and the second is the penetrative growth which occurs later (Fisher 1930; Krause et al. 1969). Therefore, the present results seem to suggest that the persorption of C. albicans from the GIT is not likely to occur in normal or even in immunologically suppressed mice, but penetrative growth occurs instead. On the other hand, a larger number of Candida cells are needed for the persorption to occur in mice. Further research on the penetrative growth of C. albicans in the GIT of mice is now in progress. References
1) Eras, P., Goldstein, M.J. & Sherlock, P. (1972) Candida infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Medicine (Baltimore), 51, 367-379. 2) Deicke, P. & Gemeinhardt, H. (1968) Tierexperimentalle Untersuchungen am System des Ductus thoracius zur Frage der enteralen Pilzaufnahme. Mykosen, 2,
Candidiasis
in Mice
175
826. Fisher, V. (1930) Intestinal absorption of viable yeast. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 28, 948-951. 4) Krause, W., Matheis, H. & Wulf, K. (1969) Fungaemia and funguria after oral administration of Candida albicans. Lancet, 1, 598-599. 5) Louria, D., Stiff, D. & Bennet, B. (1962) Disseminated candidiasis in the adult. Medicine (Baltimore), 41, 307-337. 6) Umenai, T. & Ishida, N. (1977) Significance of candiduria. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 122, 59-63. 3)