Association of iota-like toxin and Clostridium spiroforme with both spontaneous and antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis in rabbits.
A helically coiled, anaerobic, gram-positive sporeforming bacillus, identified as Clostridium spiroforme, was isolated from the cecal contents of all of 27 rabbits with spontaneous diarrhea, at a mean concentration of 10(6.0) spores per g of material. All of these rabbits also had a toxin present in their cecal contents that was neutralized by anti-Clostridium perfringens type E iota toxin, but not by other clostridial antitoxins. In addition, four rabbits with clindamycin-associated colitis were positive for C. spiroforme at a mean concentration of 10(4.5). All of these animals also had iota-like toxin present. Iota-like toxin was not detected in the cecal contents of 72 healthy animals, although C. spiroforme was found in two of these animals at a mean concentration of 10(6.0). C. spiroforme was shown to produce a toxin in vitro that was lethal to mice and caused dermonecrosis in guinea pigs. In all cases, this toxin was neutralized by anti-C. perfringens type E iota toxin.
D000818:Animals; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004767:Enterotoxemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits / Q000382:microbiology*
D004768:Enterotoxins; D002981:Clindamycin; C007084:clindamycin phosphate