RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Castex, Francoise A1 Jouvert, S. A1 Bastide, M. A1 Corthier, G.YR 1994 T1 Kinetics of appearance of intestinal lesions in mice mono-associated with a lethal or non-lethal strain of Clostridium difficile JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 40 IS 2 SP 102 OP 109 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-40-2-102 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB Summary The kinetics of the appearance of intestinal lesions induced by orogastric inoculation of gnotobiotic mice with a lethal strain of Clostridium difficile (VPI) that produced toxins A and B in vivo and in vitro was studied and compared with the lesions induced by non-lethal C. difficile strain 786 that produced toxins A and B in vitro but only toxin B in measurable amounts in vivo. Different portions of the intestine were removed 12, 20, 26 and 30 h after inoculation and studied by scanning electronmicroscopy. The remaining portions were homogenised for enumeration of C. difficile and quantification of toxin A by enzyme immunoassay and toxin B by cytotoxicity. The results showed that, following inoculation: (i) measurable amounts of both toxins were necessary to produce lesions; (ii) with strain VPI, the caecum and the colon were rapidly impaired and completely destroyed after 1 day, whereas the small intestine was damaged to a lesser extent; (iii) C. difficile strain 786 did not cause mucosal damage but induced mucus-like or serum-like secretion and morphological changes in the caecal enterocytes only., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-40-2-102