Figure 1
Schematic study design of the present study and histopathological evaluation of PF. (A) Mice received 9 intraperitoneal injections of 0.1% CG or a vehicle (15% ethanol) at a dose of 0.2 mL/mouse in 3 weeks, followed by one injection with 1 mL of the C. albicans cell suspension (5.0 × 107 CFU/mouse). Micafungin dissolved in sterile saline was subcutaneously administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg daily for 7 days, beginning 2 h after the infection. (B) Masson’s trichrome staining of peritoneal tissues at 100-fold magnification. Bars indicate the thickness of the submesothelial compact zone. In the control group, the monolayer of mesothelial cells covered the entire surface of the peritoneum. In the PF group, the submesothelial compact zone was markedly thickened. Bar graph shows the thickness of the submesothelial compact zones in the control and PF groups. The PF group showed significant thickening compared to the control group. An asterisk indicates p < 0.0001 (unpaired t test). Both control and PF groups in this assay were not inoculated with Candida. These results were confirmed on two separate occasions and representative data are shown. PF, peritoneal fibrosis; CG, chlorhexidine gluconate; SS, sterile saline; i.p., intraperitoneal injection; and s.c., subcutaneous injection.
