Pulmonary cell response in mice following intranasal instillation with Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans was instilled intranasally into mice which were sacrificed to determine the fate of instilled cryptococci and the pulmonary cellular response. During the first 12 h, instilled cryptococci decreased significantly in numbers and did not disseminate to extrapulmonary sites. There was a transient increase in neutrophils which may have been due to an influx of bacteria which accompanied the process of intranasal instillation.