Effect of experimental diabetes on the development and maintenance of vulvovaginal candidiasis in female rats

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an experimental model of diabetes in female rats and verify its influence on vulvovaginal candidiasis. STUDY DESIGN: The animals were divided into control and diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced with the use of an intravenous solution of alloxan (42 mg/kg bodyweight). One week after confirmation of hyperglycemia, the inoculation of Candida albicans yeast, previously standardized from a vaginal isolate, in concentrations of about 5 X 10(8), was performed. Infection control was made through vaginal culture, Papanicolaou cytology, and scanning electron microscopy (SCEM). RESULTS: The results pointed to different glycemias between the control (74.8 +/- 2.6) and experimental groups (543.1 +/- 12.1) and a significant bodyweight decrease (227.6 +/- 4.77 and 204 +/- 6.39, respectively). The positive infection was shown by culture, Papanicolaou test, and SCEM in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus causes hyperglycemia, which was favorable to the vaginal colonization and infection by C albicans.