Pulmonary defence mechanism in mice. A comparative role of alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells against infection with Candida albicans.

The protective roles of alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells were analyzed against intratracheal challenge with Candida albicans in mice. When mice were treated with carrageenan, a known cytotoxic agent for macrophages, there was no change in susceptibilities to the challenge in terms of the survival and the progressive elimination of fungi from the lung and kidney, in spite of a decreased in vitro phagocytosis of Candida albicans by their alveolar macrophages. On the other hand, irradiated mice (whole body irradiation with 800 rads) showed an enhanced mortality and a progressive growth of Candida albicans in their lungs and kidneys, although no change was observed in the in vitro phagocytic activity of alveolar macrophages until day 6 after irradiation. In normal and carrageenan treated mice, there was a progressive increase in the recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells into the lung after the challenge as shown by bronchoalveolar lavage and histological examination. In irradiated mice, on the other hand, there was a decreased recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells at 24 hr after the challenge, and a complete impairment at a late stage. When phagocytes were obtained from normal mice and examined for in vitro phagocytic activity to Candida albicans, polymorphonuclear cells showed higher activity than that of alveolar macrophages. These results suggest that polymorphonuclear cells play a very important role in the protection against intratracheal infection with Candida albicans.