Erythemal activity of the cellular enteropathogenic factor of Clostridium perfringens type A

Abstract

Extracts from sporulated cells of Clostridium perfringens type A, capable of producing diarrhea and fluid accumulation in ligated intestinal loops of rabbits and lambs, also caused erythema in guinea pigs and rabbits when injected intradermally. None of the known toxins of C. perfringens type A contributed significantly to the skin reaction. Both the enteropathogenic and erythemal activities were sensitive to heat, nondialyzable, precipitable with ammonium sulfate, antigenic, and insensitive to treatment with C. perfringens type A antitoxin. The enteropathogenic activities varied widely between three individual strains but showed a direct relationship to their erythemal activities. Both activities were eluted as a single fraction on a column of Sephadex G-100. It was concluded that the enteropathogenic and erythemal activities are due to a single component of sporulated C. perfringens cells.The assay of the enteropathogenic factor by the skin test is rapid, reproducible, accurate, and about 1000 times as sensitive as the intestinal loop technique in rabbits.