Enhanced killing of Candida albicans by murine macrophages treated with macrophage colony-stimulating factor: evidence for augmented expression of mannose receptors.

The effect of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) on killing of Candida albicans by murine peritoneal macrophages was determined. The killing capacity of resident peritoneal macrophages was unaffected by CSF-1. However, proteose-peptone-elicited peritoneal exudate macrophages that had been pretreated with CSF-1 (greater than or equal to 1000 U/ml) for 24 or 48 hr exhibited a significantly enhanced capacity to kill C. albicans. CSF-enhanced killing appeared to be independent of endogenously produced interferon-alpha/beta (IFN) in that enhancement by these two agents differed with regard to onset of the effect, target cell responsiveness, and duration of augmented killing. In addition, a highly specific anti-IFN antiserum that totally neutralized IFN augmentation of candidacidal activity had no effect on CSF-induced enhancement. Evidence was obtained indicating that CSF, unlike IFN, augmented mannose-inhibitable binding and ingestion of C. albicans, suggesting that augmented expression of mannose-receptors by CSF-treated macrophages was at least partially responsible for the enhanced killing.