Date of Award:

5-1-1989

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Biology

Department name when degree awarded

Biology (Microbiology)

Committee Chair(s)

Andy Anderson

Committee

Andy Anderson

Committee

Bill B. Barnet

Committee

Reed Warren

Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen capable of causing chronic-to-acute disease in man when resistance has been decreased by malnutrition, debility, immune deficiency or immune suppression. Because there have been few studies of infection travelling through the upper respiratory airway, the purpose of this study was to examine the spread of challenge doses of intranasally instilled cryptococci from the nose to the lungs, liver, spleen and brain in mice. Cryptococcus neoformans, suspended in sterile saline, was directly deposited into the anterior nares of anesthetized mice. Animals were sacrificed at various times post-inoculation. Cryptococci persisted within the nasal passages throughout the 90-day study. Extranasal dissemination began 14-28 days after instillation and was still demonstrable 90 days post-exposure. Ten percent mortality was observed in mice receiving 106 cryptococci, while no mortality was observed in mice exposed to 103 or 104 cryptococci. The results suggest that nasal colonization with. C. neoformans can precede pulmonary and systemic cryptococcosis by weeks or months.

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