Purpose: We investigated the effects of bombesin on disseminated candidiasis, and compared the effectiveness of bombesin with Saccharomyces boulardii against Candida albicans translocation from the gastrointestinal tract in immunosuppressed rats.
Methods: Sixty rats were divided into five groups of 12. Group 1 was given only a laboratory pellet diet and water during the experiments; the other four groups were orally inoculated with C. albicans; and groups 3, 4, and 5 were also given prednisolone intraperitoneally. The treatment groups consisted of group 4, given S. boulardii orally, and group 5, given bombesin subcutaneously. The rats were killed after 10 days, and the large bowel, liver, spleen, and kidneys were removed for microbiological and histopathological examination. Blood samples were taken to measure tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) levels, and the results were compared.
Results: The number of translocated C. albicans colonies from the gastrointestinal tract and the serum TNF-alpha and IL-beta levels were significantly lower in groups 4 and 5 than in group 3 (P < 0.05). Histological analysis revealed that the bombesin-treated group (group 5) had significantly less mucosal ulceration and submucosal inflammation in the large bowel, less inflammation and necrosis in the liver, and less inflammation of the Bowman capsules in the kidney than the S. boulardii-treated group (group 4) (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: These findings show that both S. boulardii and bombesin inhibit the translocation of C. albicans from the gastrointestinal tract, although mucosal ulceration, submucosal inflammation in the large bowel, and dissemination in the liver and kidneys were significantly less severe in the bombesin-treated immunosuppressed rats.