Preparation of Candida albicans Biofilms Using an in vivo Rat Central Venous Catheter Model.
In vivobiofilms grown on medical devices are necessary to understand the interactions of the fungal biofilm and the host environment in which it is most commonly found. This protocol describes a way to growCandida albicansbiofilms on the interior lumen of central venous catheters surgically implanted into rats, which mimics quite well the clinical cases of biofilms found on human central venous catheters. These infected catheters can then be studied via a multitude of different experiments, including cell counting by plating, imaging the catheters under light or electron microscopy, or comparing the relative content ofin vivobiofilms toin vitrobiofilms and planktonic cultures. These biofilms also provide enough high quality RNA for transcriptional profiling.
Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Heather T
HT
Taff
Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Karen
K
Marchillo
Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
David R
DR
Andes