Potential pathogenic mechanisms of animal-passed virulence-enhanced strains of campylobacter jejuni/coli

ABSTRACT

In order to study the potential pathogenic mechanisms, live cultures, culture-filterates and Poly-myxin B released extracts from original and animal-passed strains of C jejuni/coli were compared by a neonatal mouse infection and in-vitro Vero-Cell cytotoxicity. The cell fractions from mouse-passed strains elaborated strong cytotonic and cytotoxic activity causing elongation, granular appearance and lysis of Vero-Cells. Only weak enterotoxie activity was associated with the original strains. Partial neutralization of the cytotonic activity by mono-clonal anticholera toxin [CT] suggested immunological relationship between the toxins which was also demonstrated by Ouchterlony immunodiffusion using polyclonal anti - CT serum. The in-vivo significance of CT like and other toxic materials produced by Campylobacter strains during animal-passage remains to be assessed