Experimental systemic cryptococcosis in SCID mice.
The susceptibility of severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mice to experimental systemic cryptococcosis was studied. SCID mice were at least 16-fold more susceptible to lethal infection than were immunocompetent control mice (P < 0.001). Histological assessment showed that control mice responded with a granulomatous inflammatory response, whereas SCID mice showed no evidence of a cellular host response. In a therapeutic study, 5 mg kg-1 day-1 of fluconazole caused a significant reduction in the infectious burden in the spleen, liver, kidney and lungs of treated mice compared with no treatment. These results indicate that a model of systemic cryptococcosis with meningitis in SCID mice may have utility in the study of immunology and therapy of this disease in the severely immunocompromised host.
Clemons
K V
KV
Department of Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA 95128, USA.
Azzi
R
R
Stevens
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007249:Inflammation; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D016513:Mice, SCID; D013045:Species Specificity
D015725:Fluconazole