The Effects of Systemic Injection of Candida Albicans on Total and Differential Splenocytes Counts and Electrophoretic Profile of the Cell Lysate in BALB/c Mice

Developing a new generation of vaccines based on heat shock protein (HSP) is a new emerging field of medical researches that makes new promises to effective prevention or eradication of infectious diseases and cancers. The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of systemic injection of live Candida albicans on counts and compositions of splenocytes. It also surveyed the electrophoretic profile of the cells lysates with special focus on HSP molecules. A total number of 30 inbreed BALB/c mice were purchased. After adaptation to the animal house, they were divided into 2 groups (a test and a control group). Following booster immunizations using the multistep injection protocol, the mice in the test group received a high dose of 4×106 cells of live Candida albicans through the tail vein. All of the mice were killed on day 7, and the splenocytes suspensions were prepared aseptically.Total and differential counting of cells were performed using hematologic staining and microscopic observation. HSP90 contents of the splenocytes were assayed using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. The cell lysates went under electrophoretic and western blot analysis using HSP70 and HSP90 specific antibodies. Systemic Candida injection to mice led to increased total spleen cells and significant increment of monocyte differential counts. The splenocytes from the test group showed 13 folds increase in HSP70 contents (ELISA, P < 0.001). Electrophoretic analysis followed by western blotting of the cells lysates showed 11 and 7.3 folds increments in HSP70 and HSP90 contents, respectively, compared to the controls. Systemic injection of live Candida albicans leads to accumulation of the macrophages in the spleen. It also significantly increases the mean HSP70 and HSP90 contents of each splenocyte.