Gastrointestinal inoculation ofCryptococcus neoformansin mice

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Abstract
Twenty-four percent of mice inoculated with Cryptococcus neoformans by the gastrointestinal (G.I.) tract route shed viable C. neoformans in feces for several weeks after inoculation and 2% of the animals shed viable cells for 6–12 months. None of these animals had any clinical evidence of disease. Postmortem examination indicated that C. neoformans colonized the large intestine of the shedding animals. Approximately 3% of the animals died of disseminated cryptococcosis 9 to 19 weeks after inoculation, indicating that the G.I. tract may be a possible portal of entry in cases of cryptococcosis. Pre-treatment and post-treatment of animals with cortisone failed to increase their susceptibility to C. neoformans. Variations in the percent of animals shedding C. neoformans were observed between two different strains of mice, e.g. 44% of C3H/HE animals shed viable cells for several weeks. Age did not seem to be an important factor. Of the C. neoformans cells present in fresh faces, 5% were viable after 6 months' storage. It would appear that the mouse, and potentially other rodents, should be investigated as a possible reservoir and vehicle for the dissemination of C. neoformans.