title: Protective effects of farnesol against oral candidiasis in mice.
abstract: Farnesol is known as a quorum-sensing molecule for Candida albicans and is recognized to play pathogenic roles in Candida infection. To assess the possible role of farnesol in mucosal C. albicans infection, the effects of farnesol treatment against experimental oral candidiasis in mice were examined. Prednisolone-pretreated ICR mice were orally infected with C. albicans and 3, 24 and 30 hr later the animals were orally given farnesol. Forty-eight hr later they were killed for observation. Farnesol treatment in a dose ranging between 1.125 and 9 micromol/mouse showed a protective effect against oral candidiasis in a dose-dependent manner, at least as estimated by symptom scores of tongues. At 9 micromol/mouse it decreased bodyweight loss. Histological studies of 2.25 micromol/mouse farnesol-treated animals indicated that farnesol suppressed mycelial growth of C. albicans on the surface of tongues, but microbiological study did not prevent the change of CFU of C. albicans cells not only on tongues but also in feces, kidneys and livers. These results suggest that farnesol has very characteristic roles in protection against mucosal candidiasis.
authors.affiliation: Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, Tokyo, Japan. hisajimatatsuya@mac.com
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisajima
authors.forename: Naho
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makimura
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funakoshi
authors.forename: Haruyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005204:Farnesol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D025282:Mycelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005204:Farnesol