Regulation of Candida albicans Morphogenesis by Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha and Potential for Treatment of Oral Candidiasis

• Published in: In vivo (Athens) Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 25 - 32
• Main Authors: Ohta, Hitomi, Tanimoto, Tadao, Taniai, Madoka, Taniguchi, Mutsuko, Ariyasu, Toshio, Arai, Shigeyuki, Ohta, Tsunetaka, Fukuda, Shigeharu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece International Institute of Anticancer Research 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Candida albicans - drug effects; Candida albicans - growth & development; Candida albicans - physiology; Candidiasis, Oral - drug therapy; Candidiasis, Oral - microbiology; Carbon Dioxide - pharmacology; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Tongue - drug effects; Tongue - microbiology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0258-851X; 1791-7549

Background: Endogenous tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) has a beneficial effect as an activation mediator of host defense against infection by the fungus Candida albicans (C. albicans). However, it is unclear whether exogenous TNF-α has a beneficial or detrimental effect against Candida. Materials and Methods: The direct effect of TNF-α on CO 2 -induced morphological transformation of C. albicans blastoconidia was examined in vitro and the effect of TNF-α was determined in a mouse model of oral candidiasis. Results: TNF-α suppressed hyphal formation from C. albicans blastoconidia directly and dose-dependently, whereas it did not affect the fungal budding rate at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 10 μg/ml. In vivo, the oral administration of TNF-α significantly reduced the C. albicans CFU in tongue tissues of treated mice. Histopathologically, there was a decrease in the number and size of C. albicans fungi in the tongue tissues. Conclusion: Since orally administered TNF-α suppressed fungal burden in the tongue tissue without significant detrimental effects, TNF-α has potential as a therapeutic agent against Candida.