Alterations of protein expression in macrophages in response to Candida albicans infection

Although macrophages are an important first line of cellular defense, they are unable to effectively kill phagocytosed C. albicans. To determine the physiological basis of this inability, we investigated the alterations of macrophage proteins caused by C. albicans infection. Since the formation of C. albicans hyphae caused cell death, proteins were prepared 3 h after infection and examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The most prominent changes were in glycolytic enzymes, which could have caused energy depletion of the infected cells. Also changed were proteins involved in maintenance of cellular integrity and NO production. Treatment of the macrophages with either cytochalasin D or taxol did not alter their inability to kill C. albicans. Our results indicate that multiple factors contribute to cell death as the pathogenic form of C. albicans becomes fully active inside macrophage cells.     

Interaction of Candida albicans with macrophages

Study of the in vitro interaction of mouse peritoneal macrophages with C. albicans has revealed that these macrophages, though easily phagocytizing C. albicans blastospores, are incapable of destroying the fungus. The phagocytic, but not candidostatic, activity of these macrophages has been found to depend on the conditions on their cultivation, as well as on the age and viability of fungal cells. The representatives of 7 C. albicans strains, obtained from various sources and stored at the museum for different spans of time, have shown practically no difference in the character of their interaction with mouse peritoneal macrophages.     

抗系统性白念珠菌感染的先天性免疫

白念珠菌是引起浅部、深部真菌感染常见的病原菌.先天免疫反应在宿主抗系统性白念珠菌感染中起主导作用.介导宿主抗念珠菌感染的先天性免疫包括一系列真菌识别受体及免疫效应细胞.宿主对系统性白念珠菌感染的免疫反应是决定患者预后的关键.本文就宿主抗系统性白念珠菌感染的先天性免疫机制进行综述.     

Induction of the immune response suppression in mice inoculated with Candida albicans

There is a controversy in respect to the immunological response (humoral or cellular) concerning the defense against Candida albicans. Candidosis would induce sub-populations of suppressor cells in the host cell-immune response. This report tries to show the effect of different doses of C. albicans (alive or heat-killed) on the expression of cell-mediated and humoral immunity. The effect upon cell immunity was determined by inoculating different lots of singeneic mice, doses of varied concentration of C. albicans and checking for delayed-type hipersensitivity (D.T.H.). D.T.H. was also controlled in syngeneic normal mice which had previously been injected with inoculated mice spleen cells. Humoral immunity was assayed by measuring the induced blastogenesis by Pokeweed Mitogen on spleen mononuclear cells with different doses of C. albicans. Results obtained show that the different doses gave origin to: Suppression of humoral and cell response (10(8) alive); Suppression of only humoral response (10(6) alive); Suppression of cell response and increase of humoral response (10(9) dead); Increase of both responses (10(8) dead).     

Physical stress primes the immune response of Galleria mellonella larvae to infection by Candida albicans

Larvae of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) that had been subjected to physical stress by shaking in cupped hands for 2 min showed reduced susceptibility to infection by Candida albicans when infected 24 h after the stress event. Physically stressed larvae demonstrated an increase in haemocyte density and elevated mRNA levels of galiomicin and an inducible metalloproteinase inhibitor (IMPI) but not transferrin or gallerimycin. In contrast, previous work has demonstrated that microbial priming of larvae resulted in the induction of all four genes. Examination of the expression of proteins in the insect haemolymph using 2D electrophoresis and MALDI TOF analysis revealed an increase in the intensity of a number of peptides showing some similarities with proteins associated with the insect immune response to infection. This study demonstrates that non-lethal physical stress primes the immune response of G. mellonella and this is mediated by elevated haemocyte numbers, increased mRNA levels of genes coding for two antimicrobial peptides and the appearance of novel peptides in the haemolymph. This work demonstrates that physical priming increases the insect immune response but the mechanism of this priming is different to that induced by low level exposure to microbial pathogens.     

Suppressive action of Candida albicans on the immune response in mice.

This study was carried out to determine whether Candida albicans infection has a suppressive effect on the immune response in mice and, if so, whether the suppressive effect influences the response towards T-dependent or T-independent antigens. ICR mice were injected with SRBC with or without C. albicans, or with bacterial LPS with or without C. albicans. The immune response of the mice towards SRBC or towards the LPS was compared by the assay for PFC, hemagglutination and hemolysis tests. The results showed a decrease in the number of PFC in spleens of mice inoculated with SRBC and C. albicans as compared to mice inoculated with SRBC alone, but no decrease in animals injected with LPS and C. albicans as compared to those immunized with LPS alone. No significant differences in the titers of hemagglutinins and hemolysins in sera of mice inoculated with SRBC or with SRBC and C. albicans were observed. C. albicans infection had no effect at all on the hemagglutinins and hemolysins titers in sera of mice inoculated with LPS. These data indicate that C. albicans affects the early phase of the immune response primarily towards T dependent antigens.     

Immunocompetence of macrophages in rats exposed to Candida albicans infection and stress

The integration of innate andadaptive immune responses is required for efficient control ofCandida albicans. The present work aimed to assess, at thelocal site of the infection, the immunocompetence of macrophages inrats infected intraperitoneally with C. albicans and exposedsimultaneously to stress during 3 days (CaS group). We studied the1) ability to remove and kill C. albicans,2) tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) release,3) balance of the inducible enzymes NO synthase (iNOS) andarginase, and 4) expression of interleukin (IL)-1 andIL-1 receptor antagonist (ra) mRNA. Compared with only infected animals(Ca group), the number of colony-forming units was significantly higherin CaS rats (P < 0.01), and the macrophagecandidicidal activity was ~2.5-fold lower (P < 0.01). Release of TNF- was diminished in both unstimulated andheat-killed C. albicans restimulated macrophages of the CaSgroup (Ca vs. CaS, P < 0.03 and P < 0.05, respectively). In Ca- and CaS-group rats, the rates for both thearginase activity and the NO synthesis were significantly enhanced.However, the stress exposure downregulated the activity of both enzymes(CaS vs. Ca, P < 0.05). After in vitro restimulation,the IL-1ra/IL-1 ratio was significantly diminished in CaS-group rats(P < 0.05). Our results indicate that a correlationexists between early impairment of macrophage function and stress exposure.

     

Serum antibody response of gnotobiotic athymic and euthymic mice following alimentary tract colonization and infection with Candida albicans

Colonization and infection evoked specific immunoglobulin responses to Candida albicans antigens in gnotobiotic nu/+ mice which appeared to correlate with clearance of infected mucosal surfaces (tongue and stomach). Conversely, colonized and infected nu/nu mice formed some IgM but no detectable IgG or IgA antibodies against C. albicans antigens. Although chronic mucosal infections of tongue and stomach persisted in nu/nu mice, they were able to resist overwhelming mucosal and systemic infections with C. albicans. Thus, C. albicans specific antibodies may play a role in clearance of mucosal candidiasis (tongue and stomach), but these antibodies do not appear to be necessary for protecting athymic mice against systemic candidiasis of endogenous origin.     

Ion channels in human macrophages compared with the U-937 cell line

Summary The human cell line U-937 has been used extensively to model many macrophage functions. We have examined the cell membranes of human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) and U-937 cells to compare membrane properties as expressed by single ion channel currents. The patch-clamp technique was applied to isolated, nonactivated, inside-out patches of cell membranes obtained from HMDM and from the U-937 cell line. Voltage-gated potassium channels of similar conductance but different kinetics are present in both types of cells, and a calcium-activated potassium channel is present only in the HMDM. These differences in ion channel properties suggest fundamentally different behavior between these two cell types at the level of the cell membrane.     

纳豆杆菌对白假丝酵母菌的拮抗作用

目的探讨纳豆杆菌对白假丝酵母菌的拮抗作用。方法将纳豆杆菌和白假丝酵母菌混合培养24 h后,应用沙保弱平板培养基分离白假丝酵母菌,计数菌落,计算纳豆杆菌对白假丝酵母菌的拮抗率。结果纳豆杆菌对白假丝酵母菌的拮抗作用明显,拮抗率高达91.91%;纳豆杆菌肉汤培养物的除菌滤液对白假丝酵母菌也有明显的拮抗作用,拮抗率为79.05%。结论纳豆杆菌对白假丝酵母菌具有明显拮抗作用,是白假丝酵母菌的理想拮抗菌株。