This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Spira, W. M. Articles by Goepfert, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Spira, W. M. Articles by Goepfert, J. M. Agricola Articles by Spira, W. M. Articles by Goepfert, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1972 September; 24(3): 341-348
Copyright © 1972 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bacillus cereus-Induced Fluid Accumulation in Rabbit Ileal Loops

Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706

ABSTRACT

The usefulness of the ligated rabbit ileal loop as an experimental model of Bacillus cereus food poisoning was investigated. Positive responses, as measured by fluid accumulation in the loop, were obtained from 19 of 22 strains of B. cereus. Four of six strains of B. thuringiensis also elicited fluid accumulation, but eight strains of other Bacillus spp. failed to evoke a response. The growth medium employed markedly affected the ability of a given strain of B. cereus to provoke a response. Brain heart infusion broth (BHI) (Difco) proved to be best for this purpose. Loop fluid-inducing activity was produced by exponentially growing cells and was present in cell-free culture filtrates and associated with washed vegetative cells. Intraluminal growth of B. cereus did not elicit fluid accumulation. Cultures grown at temperatures in the range of 18 C to 43 C were loop active. When BHI cultures of selected loop positive strains were injected intraluminally into the normal ileum of rabbits, they failed to elicit diarrhea.