Effect of Recombinant Interleukin-23 on Systemic Candidasis in Mice / 华中科技大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant murine interleukin-23(rIL-23)on systemic candidiasis in a murine model.Methods A cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed murine model of systemic candidiasis was established.The mice were divided into control group and rIL-23 treatment group.Colony forming units(CFU)of the kidney and spleen were determined by using plating dilution method.The histopathological changes and degree of infection of the kidney and spleen were graded.Meanwhile,the levels of interferon gamma(IFN-γ)in the spleen were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results On the 2nd,3rd and 7th day after Candida albicans infection the number of CFU of the fungi in the kidney in the control group was significantly greater than that in rIL-23 treatment group(P＜0.01).The number of CFU of the fungi on the 2nd,3rd and 7th day after Candida albicans infection in the spleen in control group was also greater than that in rIL-23 treatment group,but without statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).The scores of histopathological changes in the kidney in rIL-23 treatment group were lower than those in control group(P＜0.01),and the degree of infection was milder in rIL-23 treatment group.The scores of histopathological changes in the spleen in rIL-23 treatment group were also lower than those in control group,but without statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).The levels of IFN-γ in the spleen on the 2nd,3rd and 7th day after infection in rIL-23 treatment group were significantly higher than those in control group(P＜0.01).Conclusion rIL-23 has protective effect on murine systemic candidiasis.