Models Hosts for the Study of Oral Candidiasis

Abstract

Oral candidiasis is an opportunistic infection caused by yeast of the Candida genus, primarily Candida albicans. It is generally associated with predisposing factors such as the use of immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics, prostheses, and xerostomia. The development of research in animal models is extremely important for understanding the nature of the fungal pathogenicity, host interactions, and treatment of oral mucosal Candida infections. Many oral candidiasis models in rats and mice have been developed with antibiotic administration, induction of xerostomia, treatment with immunosuppressive agents, or the use of germ-free animals, and all these models has both benefits and limitations. Over the past decade, invertebrate model hosts, including Galleria mellonella, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster, have been used for the study of Candida pathogenesis. These invertebrate systems offer a number of advantages over mammalian vertebrate models, predominantly because they allow the study of strain collections without the ethical considerations associated with studies in mammals. Thus, the invertebrate models may be useful to understanding of pathogenicity of Candida isolates from the oral cavity, interactions of oral microorganisms, and study of new antifungal compounds for oral candidiasis.

Recent mouse and rat methods for the study of experimental oral candidiasis

“…The recognition that C. albicans is an important pathogen, especially in immunocompromised patients, has led to the development of a suitable experimental model that supplies a standard and easy tool to control and manipulate the assays required to obtain knowledge of the disease process 35 , 36 . Thus, various animal models have been used to explore the host– Candida interaction during oral infections to assess the etiopathology, diagnose and manage the disease, and test therapeutic approaches 37 - 43 .…”

Role of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide in Enhancing Host Immune Response toCandida albicans

“…The occurrence of superficial oral candidosis may arise from a multitude of factors including local immune suppression, reduced salivary flow, poor oral hygiene, smoking, denture wearing, hormonal imbalances, and nutritional deficiencies [4–8]. Furthermore, receipt of broad-spectrum antibiotics has also been implicated with subsequent mucosal and systemic candidal infection [9]. …”

Combination of Estrogen and Immunosuppressive Agents to Establish a Mouse Model of Candidiasis with Concurrent Oral and Vaginal Mucosal Infection

“…A large number of animal models specifically targeted to the correspondence of candidiasis have been established to dissect the interplay between pathogen and host [7][8][9]. These models allow researchers to explore the main host immune components by use of genetically modified animals, and moreover, specific microbial virulence can also be verified using different strains of C. albicans, either from clinical isolates or genetically modified laboratory strains.…”

“…Among those reported, mice were used more extensively than other animals because of their wide availability, low cost and comparative ease of management. Moreover, the immunobiology of the healthy mouse at mucosal sites has been fairly well characterized, allowing a suitable evaluation of the humoral and cellular immune response during the course of the infection [7][8][9].…”