Virulence Enhancing Activities of Aureomycin on Candida albicans.

Abstract

Candida suspensions are nonpathogenic, and aureomycin solutions non-toxic, when either of these alone is injected intraperitoneally into mice. The mixture of both is fatal. A similar" drug-fungus" effect though less pronounced was observed when aureomycin was given from 24 hrs. before to 4 hrs. after Candida inoculation. Given 8 and 24 hrs. after infection, aureomycin was ineffective. The virulence enhancing activity of aureomycin was destroyed on standing at room temp. or by boiling, a parallel to its antibiotic activity. No indication of toxin production or biological alteration of Candida was found in vitro. No direct growth stimulating effect by aureomycin on Candida was observed in cultures. The action in vivo was one of lowering the animal''s resistance.