The morphological response of Vero cells to Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin was similar to that of cholera toxin and was accompanied by increases in the intracellular level of cyclic AMP. The effects of both enterotoxins were enhanced by the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitor and inhibited by heat or specific antisera. Accumulation of cyclic AMP preceded the morphological response.

Escherichia coli isolated from 2,126 children in Thailand and the Philippines was examined for enterotoxin production and for DNA hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotide and cloned polynucleotide enterotoxin gene probes. A total of 233 infections with E. coli that were detected by one or more of these assays were identified. Of the infections, 75% (164/233) were identified by all three met...

Practical detection of cholera toxin (CT) by a liposome PCR (LPCR) immunoassay was compared to that of an established V. cholerae enterotoxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin reversed passive latex agglutination (VET-RPLA) assay. LPCR detected CT in the range of 10 pg/ml to 100 ng/ml in simulated feces and environmental water. Detection by VET-RPLA required at least 4 to 19 ng/ml CT.

We have recently described a needle-free method of vaccination, transcutaneous immunization, consisting of the topical application of vaccine antigens to intact skin. While most proteins themselves are poor immunogens on the skin, we have shown that the addition of cholera toxin (CT), a mucosal adjuvant, results in cellular and humoral immune responses to the adjuvant and coadministered antigen...

Vibrio mimicus has recently been isolated from aquatic environments of Bangladesh. A total of 125 of 300 environmental isolates, representing various biotypes, and 19 human isolates were tested for enteropathogenicity by using several models. Less than 1% of the environmental isolates and slightly more than 10% of the clinical isolates produced cholera toxin-like toxin. A significant percentage...

In vitro production of enterotoxin by Vibrio cholerae, NAG isolated from human diarrheal cases in India, the Philippines and Sudan was tested. Of a total of 41 strains tested, 8 proved to produce the toxin characterized by permeability-increasing activity in the guinea pig skin. Characterization of the toxin produced by a representative strain was also made in comparison with cholera enterotoxi...