Effect of shigella enterotoxin 1 (ShET1) on rabbit intestine in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND Shigella enterotoxin 1 is a novel enterotoxin elaborated by Shigella flexneri 2a that causes fluid accumulation in rabbit ileal loops and a rise in short circuit current in Ussing chambers. AIMS To gain insights into the mechanism of action of shigella enterotoxin 1. METHODS Supernatants from genetically engineered clones either overexpressing shigella enterotoxin 1 or producing deletion mutants of the toxin were tested in rabbit ileum both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS In rabbit ileum shigella enterotoxin 1 induced an irreversible rise in short circuit current that was not mediated by any of the recognised intracellular mediators of secretion. Deletion of 90% of the A subunit of the holotoxin ablated its enterotoxicity. In the in vivo perfusion model, the toxin induced a time dependent decrease in water absorption, whereas no changes were detected in the segment perfused with supernatants obtained from the deletion mutant. Finally, partially purified toxin induced a dose dependent increment in short circuit current that reached its plateau at a toxin concentration of 4 x 10(-6) M. CONCLUSIONS Shigella enterotoxin 1 induces a time and dose dependent intestinal secretion in the rabbit animal model, suggesting that it may be responsible for the watery phase of Shigella flexneri 2a infection.