title: Pathological effect of synthetic cereulide, an emetic toxin of Bacillus cereus, is reversible in mice.
abstract: Cereulide is the causative toxin of the emetic type of food-borne illness caused by Bacillus cereus. This toxin was previously shown to be associated with fulminant liver failure in a human case. Mice were injected i.p. with synthetic cereulide and the development of histopathological changes was examined. Hepatocytes showed mitochondrial swelling with loss of cristae, and dose-dependent increase of small fatty droplets. These microsteatotic hepatocytes were distributed mainly in the pericentral area. At higher cereulide doses, massive degeneration of hepatocytes occurred. The serum values of hepatic enzymes were highest on days 2-3 after the inoculation of cereulide, and rapidly decreased thereafter. General recovery from the pathological changes and regeneration of hepatocytes was observed after 4 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibayama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000737:chemistry*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D047630:Depsipeptides; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000633:toxicity*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D047630:Depsipeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C089294:cereulide