Interaction of Candida albicans with murine gastrointestinal mucosa: effect of irradiation on adherence in vitro.

The aim of this study was to investigate the adherence in vitro of Candida albicans to various parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa from irradiated and non-irradiated mice and to attempt to inhibit this adhesion with a chitin derivative. Adhesion was assayed using 3H-leucine labelled yeast, to which GI tissue-disks removed from irradiated (400R Cobalt) and non-irradiated animals were exposed at various time intervals post-irradiation. In non-irradiated mice differences in adherence of C. albicans to various parts of the GI tract were observed, the highest adherence being to duodenal tissues. In irradiated mice, an increase in adherence to all parts of the GI mucosa was observed. Based on findings from previous studies that a chitin derivative (CSE) inhibits adhesion of C. albicans to various tissues in vitro and in vivo, we tested the effect of CSE on the adhesion of C. albicans to GI tissues. The results show that CSE inhibited the adhesion of C. albicans to GI tissues from both irradiated and non-irradiated mice by 75-85%. The relevance of the findings to the pathogenesis of candidiasis is discussed.