The Production of Nitric Oxide By Murine Peritoneal and Alveolar Macrophages in Response to Candida Albicans Yeast and Hyphae

Candida albicans is a frequent opportunistic pathogen of immunocompromised hosts. The switch from the yeast to the hyphal form enhances virulence. Murine peritoneal (PM⏀) and alveolar macrophages (AM⏀) produce a variety of cytokines as well as nitric oxide (NO), a short lived radical gas, in response to C. albicans. PM⏀ and AM⏀ were harvested and stimulated with C. albicans yeast or hyphae alone or a combination of interferon-gamma (IFN-⋎) plus C. albicans yeast to produce NO. IFN-⋎ plus bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) provided a positive control. Inhibition studies were performed using NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, an NO synthase inhibitor. PM⏀ produced detectable levels of NO 18 hr after stimulation with the positive control whereas AM⏀ did not produce detectable levels until 48 hr. Neither PM⏀ or AM⏀ produced detectable levels of NO in response to C. albicans yeast or hyphae alone. In response to C. albicans yeast or hyphae plus IFN-⋎, PM⏀ produced NO at concentrations less than 1 uM. However, AM⏀ produced NO at concentrations approximating 15 uM in response to C. albicans yeast plus IFN-⋎and at concentrations approximating 45 uM in response to C. albicans hyphae plus IFN-⋎. This study indicates that PM⏀ and AM⏀ respond differently to challenge, possibly through different processing pathways.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Biology

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year

1999

Author dc:creator

• Daniels, Deirdre E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Richard Myers

• Biology

Statement dc:rights

• © Deirdre E Daniels

Repository record dc:identifier

https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/145

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1146