Abstract
The production of enterotoxins by various bacterial cell lines has been widely studed in a variety of models including both animal and tissue culture cells. A report of a mouse model for measurement of virulence has been published recently (McCardell, et al., J. Infect. Immun; 153:177, 1986). Similar results with CP, a gram negative, curved bacterium associated with chronic gastritis, have been obtained in our laboratory. Using a modification of this animal model to identify the presence of toxins, sterilely filtered cell lysates of CP obtained from a pediatric patient were injected ip into 6-8 week old CF-1 outbred female mice. CP was grown on Columbia agar with 5% sheep blood and incubated at 37°C, microaerophically for 4 days. Harvested cells were lysed and the particulate matter was removed by centrifugatipn. The supernatant was sterilely filtered. One ml of sterile filtratres at various protein concentrations were injected ip into mice. The mice were observed for 4 days for death. Control mice were injected with PBS that was used to wash uninoculated Columbia agar plates. Protein concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 mg were evaluated. Concentrations greater than 1.3 mg were uniformly toxic (90% mortality within 48 hours). No deaths were noted during the 4 day study period with protein concentrations below 1.3 mg/ml. Additional work has snown that the toxic factor was inactivated by trypsin, heat (100°C for 15 min), and acidification to pH 4.0. The toxic factor was precipitated with 80% NH4SO4 and is nondialyzable. Postmortem examination of the mice shows edema and distention of the duodenum with the remainder of the bowel appearing normal. The above work demonstrates that there is a toxic factor that is present in certain strains of CP. This factor is lethal to mice when given ip and is probably protein in nature. Whether this factor is responsible for the epithelial damage seen in patients with active CP associated gastritis remains to be determined. Further work will also determine if this toxic factor can be demonstrated on the various tissue culture models used for toxin assays.
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Hupertz, V., Czinn, S. DEMONSTRATION IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF A HEAT LABILE TOXIN PRODUCED BY C PYLORIDIS (CP). Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 270 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00617
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00617