title: Protective effect of Nocardia opaca lysozyme digest in experimental murine Candida albicans infections.
abstract: Candida albicans, as an opportunistic pathogen, causes therapeutic problems in immunocompetent individuals and frequently it initiates severe infections in immunocompromised hosts. The application of a lysozyme digest preparation from the cell walls of Nocardia opaca (Nocardia lysozyme digest; NLD), recently classified as Rhodococcus opacus, has a protective effect in intravenous (i.v.) C. albicans infections in inbred ICR mice which have normal complement production. It also significantly reduces i.v. and intraperitoneal (i.p.) infections in DBA/2 mice which are deficient in C5 complement component. A significant decrease in C. albicans recovery from kidneys was found in NLD-treated DBA/2 animals. The preparation enhanced delayed type hypersensitivity to the yeast cells in both mouse strains. C. albicans-induced popliteal lymph node reactions were increased in ICR mice. In addition, mouse splenocytes that had been inhibited in their proliferative response to phytohaemagglutinin had this response restored after exposure to the preparation. NLD decreased the sensitivity of both mouse strains to a second challenge with the pathogen. The preparation restored the impaired host response to C. albicans infection in ICR mice treated with cobra venom and cyclophosphamide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Sofia, Bulgaria. nina@microbio.bas.bg
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ivanovska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000517:prevention & control; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009113:Muramidase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009615:Nocardia / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D009113:Muramidase