Ultrastructural imaging of Candida albicans adhesion to rat genital epithelium through scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
The adhesion of Candida albicans to the genital epithelium has not been fully investigated in vivo. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ultrastructural aspects of C. albicans adhesion in the lower genital system of female Wistar rats through scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The genital infection persisted until the end of the experiment, and all rats showed the same adhesion aspects. Various associated yeast/hyphae were observed in the lumen and adhered both at the vaginal and endocervical levels where the fungal filamentation process occurred. In the vaginal epithelium, closely adhered yeasts were observed as stretched strands bridging between yeasts and the epithelium surface. Different stages of the adhesion, where yeasts internalized into the epithelial cell inside a cytoplasmic vacuole, resembling endocytosis, and a wide fibrillar-floccular, glycocalyx-like layer on the yeasts were observed. On the endocervix, the adhesion occurred between the cilia. In the uterine body, only a yeast-like form was observed with superficial contact. This study reached the initial goal of demonstrating an experimental model for in vivo studies. Continuation of this line of research is important for studies of vulvovaginal candidiasis.
Damke
Edilson
E
Department of Clinical Analysis, State University of Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
Storti-Filho
Agenor
A
Irie
Mary M T
MM
Carrara
Márcia A
MA
Batista
Marcia R
MR
Donatti
Lucélia
L
Gunther
Luciene S A
LS
Patussi
Eliana V
EV
Svidzinski
Terezinha I E
TI
Consolaro
Márcia E L
ME
D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar