The effects of cholera enterotoxin on intestinal tissue water as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Cholera enterotoxin has been postulated to change the configuration of the intracellular protein-water system, altering the permeability of the cell to water. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, this protein-water relationship can be examined. Small intestinal loops in the rat were injected with 0.5 ml of either Schwarz/Mann cholera enterotoxin (40 mug/cc saline solution) or normal saline. Full thickness segments of intestine from each loop were taken and percentage water (using a gravimetric procedure which includes a correction for fat) and NMR relaxation times were determined. The mean value +/- S.D. for tissue water was 79.49 +/- 2.65% in the controls and 84.52 +/- 2.01% in the cholera specimens (p less than .001). T1 (spin-lattice) relaxation times were 521.22 +/- 69.5 msec in the controls and 667.96 +/- 119.25 msec in cholera tissue (p less than .001). T2 (spin-spin) relaxation times were 62.34 +/- 9.59 msec in controls and 80.35 +/- 21.46 msec in cholera tissue (p less than .02). These findings are consistent with the theory that cholera enterotoxin acts to alter intracellular protein-water relationship.
D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000187:drug effects*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects*; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D014734:Vibrio cholerae
D004768:Enterotoxins