Mannan of Candida albicans NIH A-207 strain induced cytotoxic activity in RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line, but not in U937 cells, a human monocyte cell line. The mannan greatly increased TNF-α production in RAW264.7 cells. Anti-TNF-α antibody completely inhibited both the TNF-α production from RAW264.7 cells and the cytotoxicity of the cells by mannan. Commercial recombinant TNF-α showed cytotoxic activity in RAW264.7 cells
