The effect of bacterial enterotoxins implicated in SIDS on the rabbit intestine

The aim of this project was to characterise the type of damage caused to th e intestine of the infant rabbit by bacterial enterotoxins implicated in su dden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Samples of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum and large intestine exposed to the toxins for up to 6 hours were ex amined by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The da mage was quantitatively assessed (% villi damaged) by SEM and qualitatively by SEM and TEM. Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin, staphylococcal entero toxin B and Clostridium difficile toxin A + toxin B combined all caused sev ere damage to the villi in the small intestine (80-90% damage). Clostridium difficile toxin B caused only slight damage (17% to the jejunum, 26% to th e caecum). Clostridium perfringens alpha -toxin caused moderate damage to t he small intestine (duodenum 34%, caecum 35%), and Escherichia coli STa cau sed significant damage to the small (53-70%) and large intestine (51%). The level of toxin damage increased with time, the small intestine being more susceptible generally to damage than the large intestine. Each toxin differ ed in its ability to damage the villi, microvilli, enterocytes and lamina p ropria.