Effect of enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, and Shigella dysenteriae type 1 on fluid and electrolyte transport in the colon.
Experiments were designed to determine whether the enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli, and Shigella dysenteriae type 1 alter the movement of fluid and electrolytes in the rat cecum. Net secretion of water and sodium were observed after incubation of 1.67 X10(-5) mug of purified cholera toxin (choleragen)/ml for 18 hr or of 50 mug/ml for 3 hr. The effect of choleragen on cecal transport of water and electrolytes was related to the dose. In addition, choleragen increased cecal mucosal content of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic phosphate but did not alter the histology of the cecum. The results demonstrate that the colon responds to choleragen in a manner similar to that of other tissues. In contrast, the enterotoxins of both E. coli and S. dysenteriae type 1 failed to affect cecal transport of water and electrolytes. These observations may explain several phenomena associated with the diarrhea produced by bacterial enterotoxins.
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002432:Cecum / Q000378:metabolism; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D051381:Rats; D012762:Shigella dysenteriae; D014734:Vibrio cholerae; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
D004573:Electrolytes; D004768:Enterotoxins; D014867:Water