Apoptosis induction by glucuronoxylomannan of Cryptococcus neoformans

L. S. CHIAPELLO, M. P. AOKI, H. R. RUBINSTEIN & D. T. MASIH

MEDICAL MYCOLOGY

Taylor and Francis

Año: 2003 vol. 41 p. 347 - 347

1369-3786

font face="AdvTR" size="3"> We studied the ability of glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the major constituent of Cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide, to induce apoptosis in lymphocytes from normal rats. Spleen mononuclear cells (Smc) from normal rats treated with GXM for 24 h exhibited, in comparison with controls, an increased hypodiploidy in the DNA profile after staining with propidium iodide, as well as increased ladder-type DNA fragmentation in agarose gel electrophoresis and a high number of positive cells in the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotindUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) reaction. Furthermore, increased hypodiploidy in the DNA profile was also observed in Smc expressing T-cell receptor (TCR