Virulence Enhancement of Candida albicans by Antibiotics and Cortisone

Summary

1. Terramycin has the same virulence enhancing effect on Candida albicans as aureomycin. Other antibiotics failed to show this effect. 2. Terramycin due to its stability acts after standing or boiling while aureomycin, which is not stable on standing and is heat labile, does not. This parallels their antibiotic activities. 3. Only the intraperitoneal injection of either drug and fungus is effective in producing a fatal infection. All other routes of administration and combination were negative. 4. Intravenous injection of drug and fungus indicates a protective effect. 5. Cortisone administered shortly before and after infection with Candida albicans produces a generalized fatal infection. 6. Lowered resistance of the animal to infection is considered as the cause of “virulence enhancement.”