INFLUENCE OF ESTROGEN AND NORMAL FLORA ON VAGINAL CANDIDIASIS IN THE RAT

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 29  (12) , 863-868
Abstract
The vaginal epithelium of randomly bred albino rats normally does not contain yeast. Estrogen-primed, castrated rats could be colonized by Candida albicans following intravaginal challenge; rats not treated with estrogen remained resistant to colonization. The bacteriologic conditions of the vagina were also studied in yeast-colonized and non-yeast-colonized rats. No evidence of bacterial interference with yeast colonization was obtained from this study since the vaginal flora of the estrogen-treated, yeast-colonized rats was more abundant and diverse than that of the non-estrogen-treated rats, which were resistant to yeast colonization. Scanning electron microscopy of the vaginal epithelium of yeast-colonized rats showed that C. albicans entered the mycelial phase during colonization of the vagina. It also appeared that the mycelia penetrate the cornified vaginal epithelial cells.