Growth and Virulence of Candida albicans after Oral Inoculation in the Chick with a Monoflora of Either Escherichia coli or Streptococcus faecalis

Abstract

, N.Y.), AND A. W. PHILLIPS. Growth and virulence of Candida albicans after oral inoculation in the chick with a monoflora of either Escherichia coli or Streptococcus faecalis. J. Bacteriol. 91:1744-1749. 1966.-Bacterial protection against intestinal infection by Candida albicans was investigated in chicks with a monoflora of either Escherichia coli or Streptococcus faecalis. These animals were obtained by orally inoculating germ-free chicks (3 days old) with pure cultures of bacteria. Each bacterial species was established in large numbers in the gut of separate groups of animals within 24 hr of inoculation; these numbers were similar in chicks examined 34 days later, at which time all animals were killed. The numbers of bacteria from contents of the crop, small intestine, and ceca were similar in chicks with the E. coli monoflora. Comparable results were obtained in chicks with the S. faecalis monoflora, except for decreased numbers in the duodenum and jejunum. Some of the monoflora chicks (7 days old) were transferred into separate isolators, orally inoculated with C. albicans, and observed for 34 days. All chicks grew well and appeared healthy. However, examinations at autopsy revealed severe crop infections in chicks with a diflora containing S. faecalis. Preferential growth of hyphae (C. albicans) occurred in the lesions and throughout the gut. The numbers of S. faecalis in the gut were comparable to those found in unchallenged animals. Agglutinins against C. albicans were not detected in our test or control chicks. Chicks with a difloracontaining E. coliand C. albicanshadafewmicroscopic crop lesions containing small numbers of hyphae. C. albicans was well established in the gut of these animals, largely as the yeast form. The numbers of E. coli in the gut were similar to those in control chicks. Thus, it was concluded that E. coli provided protection against crop infection by C. albicans. In crop contents from unchallenged animals, chicks with S. faecalis monoflora were about pH 5, whereas birds with E. coli monoflora were about pH 7. The challenge did not greatly change the former value, and the latter was slightly decreased. In the crop of unchallenged birds, negative Eh values were found in chicks with S. faecalis and positive Eh values in those with E. coli. Challenge did not greatly change these values. These data on pH and Eh were related to conditions for morphogenesis of C. albicans and virulence. No major difference in the concentrations of serum proteins was seen in chicks with E. coli or S. faecalis after challenge with C. albicans. Possible mechanisms of the protective effect of E. coli are discussed. ITakeninpartfroma thesisubmittoccur, several studies suggest that a prerequisite is iTknm part from athesis submitted by the covrin fthyesfrm nohpae r senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements conversion of the yeast form into hyphae or for the Ph.D. degree, Syracuse University, Syracuse, mycelia with blastospores [reviewed by Winner N.Y. and Hurley (23)]. The susceptibility of the ...

Microorganisms Responsible for Controlling the Populations of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus and the Consistency of Cecal Contents in the Chicken

“…In addition, they recognized that the cecal contents of gnotobiotic chickens were liquid. Such phenomena have already been reported by many investigators [1,3,4,7,10,16,19,20]. Such differences between gnotobiotic and conventional chickens suggest that the intestinal flora may have a great effect on proliferation of E. coli and enterococci as well as on the consistency of the cecal contents.…”

Mucosal and systemic candidiasis in congenitally immunodeficient mice

“…Congenitally immunodeficient mice were produced by mating homozygous (nulnu, bglbg, or bglbg nulnu) males with heterozygous (nul+, bgl+, and bglbg nul+, respec-1094 CANTORNA AND BALISH bred and housed in flexible film isolators at the University of Wisconsin Gntobiotic Research Laboratory (Madison). The GF or C. albicans-colonized status of each experiment was assessed by methods previously described (5). Confirmation of immune defects in congenitally immunodeficient mice.…”

Influence of Antibiotics or Certain Intestinal Bacteria on Orally Administered Candida albicans in Germ-Free and Conventional Mice

“…They concluded that the enteric microbial flora of the conventional chick provides protection against candidiasis. They further demonstrated that Escherichia coli in the intestinal tract of gnotobiotic chicks provides protection against crop infection after oral challenge with C. albicans, whereas Streptococcus faecalis provides no such protection (3). The same workers (21) and Nishikawa et al (20) have also shown that C. albicans can be established in the intestinal tract of germ-free mice and that the fungus will persist for at least 18 months (in the former report) and for 134 days (in the latter study).…”