Effects of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents on yeast colonization of the gastrointestinal tracts of mice

Male Crl:CD1 (ICR) BR mice, 3 months old, were fed regular chow or chow containing Candida albicans. Subsequently, both groups were treated with either antibiotics or normal saline for 10 days. Stool cultures were obtained to determine the extent of C. albicans colonization immediately before treatment, at the end of treatment, and 1 week after the discontinuation of treatment. Animals in the antibiotic-treated groups had substantially higher Candida counts than control animals fed C. albicans, especially if they received ceftriaxone, cefoperazone, or ticarcillin-clavulanic acid. There was no evidence of Candida dissemination to internal organs.