Detection of Clostridium novyi type B alpha toxin by cell culture systems

Ten permanent cell lines were examined for their reaction to the Clostridiu m novyi alpha toxin. The action of the toxin was determined after 3 days by microscopic examination and the MTT assay. The a toxin exhibited the stron gest effect on ESH-L cells rather than other cell lines. Vero and SFT-R cel ls reacted in a comparable way, but less sensitively. We were able to show that the cytopathic effect on the three types of cells was neutralised by t he international standard for gas gangrene antitoxin (C. novyi) but in no c ase by heterologous antisera. Our results have shown that the three cell li nes were specific indicators for the detection of the cytopathic effect of alpha toxin. The cytopathic effect can be measured reproducibly by the cell culture assay used. These results are suitable as the starting point for t he development of the neutralisation test using cell cultures. (C) 1999 Pub lished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.