title: Regulation of Candida albicans morphogenesis by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and potential for treatment of oral candidiasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endogenous tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has a beneficial effect as an activation mediator of host defense against infection by the fungus Candida albicans (C. albicans). However, it is unclear whether exogenous TNF-alpha has a beneficial or detrimental effect against Candida.
  
  
  METHODS
  The direct effect of TNF-alpha on CO2-induced morphological transformation of C. albicans blastoconidia was examined in vitro and the effect of TNF-alpha was determined in a mouse model of oral candidiasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TNF-alpha suppressed hyphal formation from C. albicans blastoconidia directly and dose-dependently, whereas it did not affect the fungal budding rate at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 10 microg/ml. In vivo, the oral administration of TNF-alpha significantly reduced the C. albicans CFU in tongue tissues of treated mice. Histopathologically, there was a decrease in the number and size of C. albicans fungi in the tongue tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since orally administered TNF-alpha suppressed fungal burden in the tongue tissue without significant detrimental effects, TNF-alpha has potential as a therapeutic agent against Candida.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Institute, Research Center, Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc., 675-1 Fujisaki, Okayama, Japan. fujisaki@hayashibara.co.jp
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Madoka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniai
authors.forename: Mutsuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ariyasu
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Tsunetaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D014059:Tongue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002245:Carbon Dioxide