Decontamination of gnotobiotic mice experimentally monoassociated with Candida albicans

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Gnotobiotic AKR mice, experimentally monoassociated with C. albicans, were successfully decontaminated by oral treatment with amphotericin B incorporated in the drinking water. Germfree mice 1st were swabbed orally with viable C. albicans and then were allowed to acclimatize for 4 wk. The log10 of number of C. albicans/g of organ (with luminal contents) was 7.9 and 7.7 in the stomach and cecum, respectively. Direct fecal smears and impression smears of stomach and cecum mucosal surfaces, revealed yeast-phase cells, many with germ tubes, but no hyphal forms. No illness or mortality was observed over this period. The mice then were given amphotericin B dissolved in the drinking water and offered ad libitum. At levels of 0.1 and 0.2 mg/ml, the number of fecal C. albicans was decreased but not eliminated completely, but 0.3 mg/ml was sufficient to decontaminate the mice completely and return them to the germfree state. Residual amphotericin B was detected in the feces of the mice only while they were receiving the 0.3 mg/ml dose level. These mice remained germfree until the termination of the experiment, 10 weeks after the antibiotic was discontinued and replaced by plain drinking water.