The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 14, Issue 3 307-319, Copyright © 1981 by Society for General Microbiology
Tissue responses to the blastospores and hyphae of Candida albicans in the mouse
Z. A. Evans
Separate groups of mice challenged intravenously with either the
blastospore or hyphal forms of the same strain of Candida albicans were
examined for comparative mortality rates, organ localisation, and tissue
and cellular response to the organisms. Blastospores were more rapidly and
consistently fatal to mice than the hyphae. Relatively more hyphal elements
than blastospores were initially localised in the lungs but more
blastospores than hyphal elements were trapped in the liver. The cells of
both forms were more effectively killed in the lungs than in other organs.
Blastospores initially found in the kidneys increased rapidly in numbers,
but hyphal inocula either grew slowly in the kidneys or were eliminated.
After mice were challenged with either hyphae or blastospores the initial
inflammatory response in the lungs and liver was predominantly of
polymorphonuclear leukocytes, but macrophages were the first inflammatory
cells to be seen in kidney sections. Peripheral blood counts showed a
leukocytosis in mice of both groups although only blastospores resulted in
increased numbers of circulating atypical lymphocytes. The results
indicated that lungs may play a more important role than other
reticuloendothelial organs in innate resistance to vascular invasion by
either of the morphological forms of C. albicans, and macrophages may be
crucial to host resistance to renal invasion by this fungus.
