Experimental Study on the pathogenesis of Candida albicans in Swiss mice

Chon, Joon Yul; Kim, Young Pio

Abstract

In search for animal model of systemic candidiasis, the authors attempted to infect the mice with Candida albicans (CUMD 23 and CUMD 25) isolated from human subjeets and study the mode of infection and pathogenesis. Swiss mice were inoculated with these organisrns either intravenously or intraperitoneally. After deterrnining the lethal doses of the pathogens at 30th day, another group of mice were inoculated with a sublethal dose. They were sacrificed weekly up to 4 weeks and the organs were examined mycologically and histopathologically. The results show that strain CUMD 23 is more virulent than CUMD 25. The most susceptible organ to C. albicans is the kidney followed by the peritoneum, mesentery and the pancreas. In the early lesion, C. atbicans generally show the spore form in the peritoneum, mesentery and the kidney when injected intraperitonea,lly but as time went by it rather took the hyphal form especially in the kidney. In the case of intravenous injection, the hyphal masses were seen in the kidney more quickly. With this result, it is suggested that the dissemination of C. albicans occurs easily in the latter and the spores reaching the kidney transform into hyphae which are not easily subjected to phagocytosis.