Abstract
As an experimental approach to immunotherapy of mycotic infection, chitin and chitosan, with or without amphotericin B (AMPH) and flucytosine (5-FC) were assayed for their protective effect in mice challenged with a lethal amount of viable cells of Candida albicans NIH A-207 strain. Combination therapy with each pair of polysaccharide and chemotherapeutic agents gave a better result than that obtained by the corresponding single administration therapy.
To analyze the action mechanism of this combination effect, the peritoneal adherent cells (PAC) of mice treated with these polysaccharides were assayed for their killing effect on the viable cells of C. albicans in vitro. It was evident that PAC from chitin- or chitosan-treated mice showed a significantly increased killing effect in comparison with PAC of the corresponding untreated control, and that this effect was further enhanced by the coexistence of AMPH or 5-FC. Assay of myeloperoxidase activity of the peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) of mice treated with chitin or chitosan showed that a significant increase of this enzyme activity was observed in comparison with that of PEC of untreated mice.
