title: Characteristics of experimental Candida albicans infection of the central nervous system in rabbits.
abstract: Different concentrations (10(7), 10(5), 10(3) cfu/ml) of Candida albicans were injected intracisternally in rabbits. The highest inoculum was fatal within 14 h in all animals. In recipients of 10(5) and 10(3) cfu/ml inocula, the mean +/- SD peak cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) concentrations were 1.6 +/- 2.42 and 0.3 +/- 0.59 ng/ml, respectively, at 6 h; the mean +/- SD CSF leukocyte and protein concentrations were 6291 +/- 6515 and 453 +/- 674 cells/mm3 (at 24 h) and 118 +/- 90 and 109 +/- 122 mg/dl (at 12 and 24 h), respectively. At 6-10 days after inoculation, a second peak of TNF alpha activity was accompanied by increased CSF inflammation. Mortality in the 10(5) and 10(3) cfu/ml inoculum groups was 56% and 22%, respectively. Fatal infection was associated with higher second CSF peak TNF alpha and leukocyte concentrations and a larger proportion of culture-positive CSF samples. Histopathology revealed hyphal invasion, vasculitis, abscesses, and acute and chronic inflammatory infiltration of meninges and brain parenchyma. This model can be useful for evaluation of the pathogenesis and therapy of central nervous system fungal infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9063.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sáez-Llorens
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grimprel
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Argyle
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: McCracken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008578:Meninges / Q000473:pathology; D008581:Meningitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha