FIG 3.

The damage-reducing effect on C. albicans-induced host cell damage is albumin specific. (A) Representative microscopy images (40× magnification) of C. albicans-infected kidney cells in the presence or absence of human albumin (Sanquin Plasma Product B.V.) at 5.5 h postinfection. (B to E) Damage of kidney cells measured by LDH release after 18 h in the presence of 10 mg/ml human albumin solutions of three different manufacturers (Sanquin Plasma Products B.V., Albuman; Bio & Sell catalog number HSA.FV.0025; Sigma, catalog number A6909) in comparison to the control without albumin (B); the presence of 10 mg/ml albumin or albumin, which was fractionated by molecular weight filters with a cutoff 30 kDa, both the >30-kDa and the <30-kDa fractions are shown (C); the presence of 10 mg/ml albumin, apo-transferrin or holo-transferrin (D); and for the presence of 10 mg/ml human (Sanquin Plasma Products B.V., Albuman), bovine, murine, or ovalbumin (E) were tested. Bars represent mean values and the SEM of n = 3 (B, D, and E) or n = 4 (C) independent experiments. Significances were calculated using a paired, parametric, two-tailed Student t test (*, P ≤ 0.05).