PRODUCTION IN MICE OF TOLERANCE TO THE TOXIC MANIFESTATIONS OF CANDIDA ALBICANS

Hasenclever, H. F. (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.) and William O. Mitchell. Production in mice of tolerance to the toxic manifestations of Candida albicans. J. Bacteriol. 84:402–409. 1962. — Lethal toxic manifestations of Candida albicans in mice were demonstrated by the intravenous injection of 107 viable yeast cells. Untreated control animals had an average survival time of 4.5 to 10 hr after challenge. No multiplication of C. albicans could be demonstrated in the tissues of untreated infected controls 12 hr after challenge. Mice infected ip with C. albicans 6 days before iv challenge survived for periods three to four times longer than controls. Mice previously infected with other fungi also demonstrated tolerance to the toxicity of C. albicans. Coccidioides immitis and C. stellatoidea were especially effective. High-titer rabbit antiserum to viable C. albicans yeast cells was not protective. Studies of total and differential peripheral leukocytes indicated that mice in the tolerant state demonstrated a slight granulocytosis. Direct evidence of the protective effect of the granulocytic response was not shown