title: Gastrointestinal and disseminated candidiasis. An experimental model in the immunosuppressed rat.
abstract: An experimental model of invasive gastrointestinal (GI) candidiasis was studied in immunosuppressed rats. Normal rats were susceptible to disseminated candidiasis by intravascular inoculation (lethal dose for 50% survival [LD50], 1.6 x 10(6) blastospores). Cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenia decreased the LD50 to 1.2 x 10(4) blastospores. Feeding Candida albicans to rats resulted in low-grade GI colonization of normal rats. The intensity of colonization was increased by treatment with cyclophosphamide and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Only in animals fed Candida and treated with both antibiotics and cyclophosphamide did invasive GI lesions develop. However, hematogenous dissemination occurred in only about 10% of such rats. The addition of cortisone acetate to the treatment regimen increased the frequency of hematogenous dissemination to about 25%. Thus, disseminated candidiasis after invasive GI disease can be produced in the rat after exposure to the same predisposing factors as immunosuppressed human patients in whom the disease develops.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003348:Cortisone / Q000009:adverse effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D003348:Cortisone