F. Castex et al., KINETICS OF APPEARANCE OF INTESTINAL LESIONS IN MICE MONO-ASSOCIATED WITH A LETHAL OR NONLETHAL STRAIN OF CLOSTRIDIUM-DIFFICILE, Journal of Medical Microbiology, 40(2), 1994, pp. 102-109
The kinetics of the appearance of intestinal lesions induced by orogas
tric inoculation of gnotobiotic mice with a lethal strain of Clostridi
um difficile (VPI) that produced toxins A and B in vivo and in vitro w
as studied and compared with the lesions induced by non-lethal C. diff
icile strain 786 that produced toxins A and B in vitro but only toxin
B in measurable amounts in vivo. Different portions of the intestine w
ere removed 12, 20, 26 and 30 h after inoculation and studied by scann
ing electronmicroscopy. The remaining portions were homogenised for en
umeration of C. difficile and quantification of toxin A by enzyme immu
noassay and toxin B by cytotoxicity. The results showed that, followin
g inoculation: (i) measurable amounts of both toxins were necessary to
produce lesions; (ii) with strain VPI, the caecum and the colon were
rapidly impaired and completely destroyed after 1 day, whereas the sma
ll intestine was damaged to a lesser extent; (iii) C. difficile strain
786 did not cause mucosal damage but induced mucus-like or serum-like
secretion and morphological changes in the caecal enterocytes only.