STUDIES INTO EXPERIMENTAL CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS TYPE-A ENTEROTOXEMIA IN SUCKLED PIGLETS - OPTICAL LIGHT AND ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY FOR STUDIES INTO PATHOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS OF EXPERIMENTAL CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS TYPE-A INTOXICATION

The following findings were obtained in some of 23 unweaned piglets fr om optical light and electron microscopy for studies into experimental intragastric Clostridium (Cl.) perfringens Type A intoxication (beta- toxin, 80-800 doses lethal to mouse, administered one to six hours fro m birth): moderate inflammatory reaction of intestinal mucosa with cap illary hyperaemia, villous oedema, lymphatic congestion in chylous ves sels as well as infiltration of neutrophilic granulocytes in villous s troma and intestinal lymph nodes. With most of the villous epithelia u ltrastructurally intact, circumscribed alterations of enterocytes were occasionally recordable in the form of inflation, vesiculation, wasti ng of microvilli, softening or loss of terminal fibres, mitochondrial alteration, enlargement of endoplasmic reticulum as well as brigthenin g of basal plasma. No ultrastructural alterations were recordable from terminal blood and chylous vessels. The other organs and tissues were morphologically inconsicuous. These findings are discussed in some de tail, with particular reference made to the pathogenesis of Cl. perfri ngens type A enterotoxaemia.