RESISTANCE TO CANDIDIASIS AND MACROPHAGE ACTIVITY IN CHITIN-TREATED MICE

The effect of chitin, a polysaccharide of the cell wall of Candida alb icans, on both the survival of C. albicans infected mice and the activ ity of the murine peritoneal macrophages has been studied. Pretreatmen t of mice with 30 mg kg(-1) C. albicans chitin enhanced the survival o f the infected animals. The protective effect was concomitant with an enhancement of both phagocytic and candidacidal activities of the peri toneal macrophages. Chitin by itself did not induce the nitric oxide ( NO) synthase in the macrophages, which remained at a level similar to that shown by the macrophages from untreated animals. The administrati on of 10 mg kg(-1) C. albicans chitin diminished the long term surviva l of the infected animals. This effect was coincident with a lower can didacidal activity and NO production by the macrophages of the chitin treated and infected animals, compared to the untreated infected anima ls.