The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 40, Issue 2 102-109, Copyright © 1994 by Society for General Microbiology
Kinetics of appearance of intestinal lesions in mice mono-associated with a lethal or non-lethal strain of Clostridium difficile
F. Castex, S. Jouvert, M. Bastide and G. Corthier
Unite de Recherche en Immunologie, Faculte de Pharmacie, Universite de Montpellier 1, France.
The kinetics of the appearance of intestinal lesions induced by orogastric
inoculation of gnotobiotic mice with a lethal strain of Clostridium
difficile (VPI) that produced toxins A and B in vivo and in vitro was
studied and compared with the lesions induced by non-lethal C. difficile
strain 786 that produced toxins A and B in vitro but only toxin B in
measurable amounts in vivo. Different portions of the intestine were
removed 12, 20, 26 and 30 h after inoculation and studied by scanning
electronmicroscopy. The remaining portions were homogenised for enumeration
of C. difficile and quantification of toxin A by enzyme immunoassay and
toxin B by cytotoxicity. The results showed that, following 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 small 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.
