ANTIFUNGAL AND IMMUNOADJUVANT PROPERTIES OF FLUCONAZOLE IN MICE IMMUNOSUPPRESSED WITH MORPHINE

We investigated the efficacy of fluconazole on experimental disseminat ed candidiasis in mice immunocompromised by chronic morphine treatment . CD1 mice were severely immunosuppressed by repeated morphine adminis trations, i.e., subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of 75 mg/kg/day, 3 days before and 5 days after a systemic Candida albicans infection induced by intravenous administration of 1 x 10(6) fungal cells/mouse. Flucon azole (2.5 mg/kg, s.c., at 6, 24 and 48 h postinfection) was very effe ctive in prolonging survival time of morphine-treated mice. Fluconazol e treatment also promotes a recovery of killing activity of polymorpho nuclear leukocyte cells suppressed by morphine administrations.