Effect of N‐Acetylchitohexaose against Candida albicans Infection of Tumor‐Bearing Mice

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Abstract
A water‐soluble oligosaccharide, N‐acetylchitohexaose (NACOS‐6), was able to enhance the protective effect against Candida albicans infection in mice during the early phase of tumor‐bearing. A significant decrease in the number of C. albicans cells in the kidneys of NACOS‐6‐treated tumor‐bearing mice was observed 8 days after the fungal infection, or 15 days after the tumor transplantation. The candidacidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from NACOS‐6‐treated tumor‐bearing mice did not differ from that of NACOS‐6‐untreated tumor‐bearing mice. On the other hand, the candidacidal activities of both macrophages and T lymphocytes increased following administration of NACOS‐6 in the early phase of tumor‐bearing. The culture supernatant of T lymphocytes from NACOS‐6‐treated tumor‐bearing mice also potentiated the candidacidal activity of casein‐induced macrophages. An enhancement of natural killer cell activity of splenic lymphocytes obtained from NACOS‐6‐treated tumor‐bearing mice was also observed.