Cyclosporin A treatment and decreased fungal load/antigenemia in experimental murine paracoccidioidomycosis

Mycopathologia. 2011 Mar;171(3):161-9. doi: 10.1007/s11046-010-9359-5. Epub 2010 Sep 11.

Abstract

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb). The cyclosporin A (CsA) is an immunosuppressant drug that inhibits calcineurin and has been described as a potential antifungal drug. The present study investigated the effect of CsA on the immune response, fungal load/antigenemia in experimental murine PCM. It was used four groups of BALB/c mice: (a) infected with 1 x 10⁵ Pb18 yeast cells (Pb), (b) infected and treated with CsA every other day 10 mg/kg of CsA (s.c.) during 30 days (Pb/CsA), (c) treated with CsA (CsA) and (d) no infected/treated (PBS). The immune response was evaluated by lymphocyte proliferation, DTH assays to exoAgs, ELISA for IgG anti-gp43 (specific immune responses) and cytokine serum levels (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-10). Fungal load was determined by lung colony-forming units (CFU) counts, lung and liver histopathology analysis and antigenemia determined by inhibition-ELISA. As expected, CsA was able to inhibit the specific cellular and humoral immune response (P < 0.05), with decrease in serum IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-4 levels (P < 0.05). Cyclosporin A treatment also resulted in significantly decreased lung Pb CFU (P < 0.05) as well as a lower number of yeasts in the lung and liver (P < 0.05) by histopathology. In concordance, the decreased antigenemia was observed in Pb/CsA group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, even with immunosuppressive action, treatment with CsA results in decreased lung fungal load/antigenemia in experimental PCM in BALB/c mice. Further study is required to determine whether this represents less severe disease or protection by CsA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Fungal / blood
  • Antigens, Fungal / blood
  • Antigens, Fungal / immunology
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Cyclosporine / immunology
  • Cyclosporine / therapeutic use*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Fungal Proteins / blood
  • Fungal Proteins / immunology
  • Glycoproteins / blood
  • Glycoproteins / immunology
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Interferon-gamma / blood
  • Interleukin-10 / blood
  • Interleukin-4 / blood
  • Liver / microbiology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Lung / microbiology*
  • Lung / pathology
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Paracoccidioides* / drug effects
  • Paracoccidioides* / growth & development
  • Paracoccidioides* / immunology
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / drug therapy*
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / immunology
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / microbiology
  • Paracoccidioidomycosis / pathology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / blood

Substances

  • 43 kDa protein, Paracoccidioides
  • Antibodies, Fungal
  • Antigens, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Cyclosporine