The effect of iron dextran injection on oral candidiasis symptoms in experimental iron deficiency anemia of laboratory rats

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common type of anemia that causes various health problems and is commonly companied by oral symptoms, including oral thrush from Candida infection. The study assessed the role of iron status in the pathogenicity of oral candidiasis in an animal model. IDA in rats was produced by feeding on iron-free diet (five weeks), followed by inducing oral candidiasis by Candida albicans suspension. After the infection, animal subgroups were treated by intramuscular injection (IM) of iron dextran (ID) at 2 and 4 mg/kg once a week for three weeks and normal saline injection for comparison. Blood parameters test and tongue histopathological study were conducted. The IDA parameters and the oral thrush lesions were detected in experimental rats. IM of 2 mg ID diminished oral white patches and improved blood hemoglobin (14.533 g/dl), serum iron (109.177 μg/dl), and serum ferritin (5.276 ng/ml) and decreased total iron-binding capacity (377.000 μg/dl). Tongue sections showed normal tongue papillae, reduced inflammation and regular keratin deposition on papillae. At a 4 mg dose, despite the improvement in the blood parameters, a mild reduction was found in tongue thrush by less normal appearance of tongue papillae sections, mild inflammatory cells and hyperplasia of squamous epithelium. The study findings indicate that iron status plays a critical role in the treatment of oral thrush infection.