Outcome of experimental rat vaginitis by Candida albicans isolates with different karyotypes

Candida albicans isolates with different genomic background, designed as b and c karyotypes, have been previously shown to differentially modulate their response to macrophage candidacidal activity. While b-type isolates were susceptible to intracellular killing, strains with c karyotype survived upon internalization and were able to replicate inside macrophages. Furthermore, it was also shown that c type strains escape microglial cell mediated growth inhibition, suggesting that these strains form a more virulent cluster. In this report, the pathogenicity exerted by C. albicans isolates with b and c karyotypes was analyzed in vivo using a model of experimental rat vaginitis. Although both types induced infection, c-type-infected animals suffered from more persistent vaginitis, confirming the higher virulence potential the c karyotype exerted in vivo. The analysis of fungal cells recovered from vaginal fluids of infected animals indicated that c-type was more prone to undergo morphogenesis and to express SAP2 than b-type; these different traits may account for the differences observed in the outcome of experimental rodent vaginitis induced by the two C. albicans karyotypes.