Hepatocellular apoptosis during Candida albicans colonization:: involvement of TNF-α and infiltrating Fas-L positive lymphocytes

The liver constitutes the first barrier in the control of hematogenous dissemination of Candida albicans of intestinal origin. In rats infected with C. albicans, this organ limits the growth of the yeast and mounts an efficient inflammatory reaction. However, in rats infected and exposed to chronic varied stress, the hepatic inflammatory reaction is compromised and the outcoming of the infection is more severe. Although in both groups the fungal burden is associated with hepatotoxicity, steatosis, increment of hepatic enzymes and lipid peroxidation, stress-related differences are clearly evident. Herein, we evaluated in infected and infected-stressed hosts the involvement of apoptosis and pro-apoptotic signals in the hepatic injury during the acute step of C. albicans infection. We studied in situ apoptosis by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling reactions, the levels of local tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha mRNA by reverse transcription-PCR and the Fas/Fas-L expression by immunohistochemistry and western blot. We also purified intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHLs) to evaluate the dynamic of recruitment following the infection and to characterize the in vivo and in vitro interaction of C. albicans with this subset evaluating the kinetic of Fas-L and Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2) expression. This work shows, for the first time, the occurrence of in situ apoptosis of hepatocytes as well as the kinetic of IHL recruitment early during the C. albicans infection. Moreover, our results demonstrate the ability of the fungus to up-regulate the Fas-L and TLR-2 expression in this subset. In the scenario of early liver injury, the recruited IHLs and the modulated expression of TNF-alpha, Fas-L and TLR-2 molecules could act coordinately in delivering death signals.