ACTIVATION OF MURINE RESIDENT PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES BY A CELL-WALL EXTRACT OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS

Ethylenediamine extraction of the cell walls of Candida albicans yield s an extract which possesses antigenic activity, and like other whole cell and cell wall preparations of Candida, has been shown previously to possess immunomodulatory activity. We report here results which sho w that non-elicited, resident peritoneal macrophages treated with the ethylenediamine cell wall extract exhibit morphological characteristic s of activated macrophages. Treated cells also manifest an increased r espiratory burst response and secrete elevated levels of IL-6. The tre atment with the extract appears to provide a co-priming signal to the resting macrophages, since co-stimulation with interferon-gamma result s in an increased level of IL-6 and IL-1. Our results also show that e xtract-treated cells manifest increased responsiveness to lipopolysacc haride as measured by the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha. These results provide an additional basis for our understanding of the immunomodulatory activity of components of the Candida cell wall.