Open AccessCombined effect of fluconazole and thymosin α1 on systemic candidiasis in mice immunosuppressed by morphine treatments
Author(s) -
FRANCESCO P.,
GAZIANO R.,
CASALINUOVO I. A.,
BELOGI L.,
PALAMARA A. T.,
FAVALLI C.,
GARACI F.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1994.tb06093.x
Subject(s) - fluconazole , candida albicans , immunocompetence , immunostimulant , corpus albicans , pharmacology , lymphokine , immunology , morphine , systemic candidiasis , thymosin , immunosuppression , medicine , biology , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , antifungal
SUMMARY Treatment of systemic infection with Candida albicans with a combination of an antifungal agent (i.e. fluconazole) and a thymus‐derived immunostimulant (i.e. thymosin α1 (Tal)) in mice immunosuppressed by morphine treatments was investigated. In normal mice, fluconazole given after infection with 10 6 C. albicans cells was more effective than in mice treated with morphine. Combination treatment with fluconazole and Tal prolonged survival and reduced the fungal burden in the kidneys of immunosuppressed mice. We also investigated the influence of this combined treatment on killing properties of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) and natural killer (NK) cell activity, inhibited by morphine administrations. Treatment with TQI or fluconazole as single agents promoted a recovery of normal NK cell activity and intracellular killing of C. albicans by PMN, while the combination significantly increased both of these responses, probably through the modulation of lymphokine production. Our data suggest that the additive effect of T α 1 and fluconazole is due lo a direct antifungal action and activation of the immunocompetence.