Reduction of reactivity of Escherichia coli enterotoxins by intestinal mucosal components

Influence of route of administration on immediate and extended protection in rats immunized with Escherichia coli heart-labile enterotoxin

The effect of route of administration, dosage, and number of boosts employed during immunization with the polymyxin-release form of Escherichia coli heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin on the degree and duration of protection afforded was evaluated in rats which were challenged by the ligated loop technique. Increasing the boosting dosage by fivefold from 50 to 250 mug resulted in a marked increase in protection against challenge with toxin in rats immunized either just by the parenteral route (i.p./i.p.) or by a parenteral prime, followed by peroral boosts (i.p./p.o.) in rats pretreated with cimetidine to ablate gastric secretions; such was not the case, however, even with a 50-fold increase in dosage in rats immunized just by the peroral route (p.o./p.o.). Four weekly peroral boosts were required to achieve the strongest degree of protection. Increasing the boosting dosage also increased the degree of protection against challenge with viable LT(+)/ST(-) and LT(+)/ST(+) strains (ST indicates heat-stable enterotoxin) in rats immunized by the i.p./p.o., but not by the i.p./i.p., route; no protection was evident against an LT(-)/ST(+) strain. Protection was lost within 3 weeks after immunization in rats immunized by the i.p./i.p. route. In contrast, protection was extended over the 3-month observation period in those immunized by the i.p./p.o. route; the degree of protection was enhanced in rats which received an additional boost at 2 months. These observations establish the fact that immunization with LT is similar to that with cholera toxin in that arousal of the local immune intestinal response by means of peroral immunization provides maximal extended protection.

The effect of adsorbant and anti-inflammatory drugs on secretion in ligated segments of pig intestine infected with Escherichia coli

Four adsorbant drug preparations, Kaopectate, colloidal Attapulgite, noncolloidal Attapulgite and Pepto-bismol were investigated for their effects on fluid accumulation in ligated segments of pig intestine inoculated with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Two anti-inflammatory drugs. aspirin and methylprednisolone, and two antibiotics, lincomycin and polymyxin B, were also tested. All the drugs except the two anti-inflammatory products were given by injection into the lumen of the intestine. Aspirin was given orally and methylprednisolone was given intramuscularly. The antibiotics were tested at levels at which they had no significant antibacterial effect in in vitro tests. The adsorbant drugs colloidal Attapulgite and Pepto-bismol were shown to be effective in reducing fluid accumulation in ligated segments of pig intestine infected with enteropathogenic E. coli. In the case of Peptobismol this effect was associated with an antibacterial effect as well as an antitoxic effect, probably due to its adsorbant properties. It is possible that an aspirin-like effect in the gut due to the active ingredient bismuth subsalicylate may have contributed to the effectiveness of Pepto-bismol. Colloidal Attapulgite was demonstrated to have an antitoxic effect but did not have an antibacterial effect. In high doses, the anti-inflammatory drugs acetylsalicylic acid and methylprednisolone were marginally effective in reduction of fluid accumulation in the same test system. Lincomycin was shown to reduce intestinal fluid secretion, whereas polymyxin B had no effect.