ENHANCED RESISTANCE TO CANDIDA-ALBICANS IN MICE DURING TETRACYCLINE ADMINISTRATION

In man, broad-spectrum antibiotics (e.g. tetracycline) can cause break down of the oral microbial homeostasis with loss of the inhibitory act ion of normal flora on the growth of Candida albicans. This results in its overgrowth, causing severe oral candidal infection.(1,2) This eve nt can be mimicked in rats by treatment with tetracycline and exposure to C, albicans.(3) Resistance to C. albicans can be enhanced in exper imental animals by introducing viable, non-viable and products of cand idal cells into animals by various routes.(4-8) It is, however, not kn own whether such an enhanced resistance is effective against oral cand idal infection in animals of which the oral flora has been disturbed b y the intake of a broadspectrum antibiotic. In this investigation we s how that mice which received viable C. albicans via drinking water pri or to administration of tetracycline and simultaneous exposure To Cand ida, exhibited significantly fewer signs of oral candidal infection th an controls exposed to tetracycline and Candida only.,