Development of an Immunosuppressed, Catheterized Murine Model for Ascending Candida albicans Urinary Tract Infection:

610 To study ascending urinary tract infection with Candida albicans in the solid organ transplant recipient, a bladder catheterized mouse model was developed. An indwelling catheter segment was inserted into the bladder of female CBA/J mice; two weeks later (day 0) C. albicans infection was established by transurethral inoculation. Half of the animals also received immunosuppression with cyclosporine A (10 mg/kg/day by gavage) and hydrocortisone (equivalent to prednisone 1 mg/kg/day IP) from day -3 to day 7. A persistent infection could be established in both immunosuppressed and nonimmunosuppressed (control) mice, with immunosuppressed mice having significantly higher CFU / gram of tissue in the kidney than controls by day 7(p