The role of enterotoxin in Clostridium perfringens type A enteritis

Abstract

Vegetative cells of three strains of Clostridium perfringens type A, free of erythemal activity, were suspended in fresh medium and injected into ligated intestinal loops of lambs. Examination of the loop contents after 6.5 h showed significant accumulation of fluid, multiplication and sporulation of C. perfringens, and erythemal activity in both the supernatant fluids and the sediments.The erythemal factor produced in vivo was identical with the erythemal factor of sporulated cells of C. perfringens grown in vitro, and again caused accumulation of fluid when transferred into ligated intestinal loops of recipient lambs. Immune rabbit serum prepared against extracts from sporulated cells of C. perfringens, and absorbed with extracts from vegetative cells of the same strain, completely neutralized the enterotoxic and erythemal activities of the in vivo-produced factor.It is concluded that the erythemal factor is the causative agent in C. perfringens type A enteritis. The term "Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin" is proposed to characterize the erythemal factor.