Abstract
Penicillin treatment resulted in lethal hemorrhagic cecitis in seven of eight guinea pigs. Cecal contents at necropsy from all seven animals contained a cytopathic toxin which was neutralized by Clostridium sordellii and C difficile antitoxins. Bacteriologic cultural examinations of these specimens yielded penicillin-sensitive strains of C difficile which produced a similar or identical cytotoxin in vitro. Stools obtained before penicillin administration and cecal contents from control animals lacked a cytotoxin and cultures failed to yield C difficile. Intracecal injection of cell-free supernatant of C difficile broth cultures reproduced the lesion noted with penicillin treatment. These results implicate C difficile as an agent of penicillin-induced lethal hemorrhagic cecitis in guinea pigs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1277-1279 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | American journal of veterinary research |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 8 |
State | Published - Aug 1 1980 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Veterinary