Studies on the effect of staphyloccoccal culture filtrates on isolated rabbit gut

Abstract

1. When toxic filtrates derived from coagulase-positive staphylococci including twelve food-poisoning strains, thirty pyogenic strains of human and twelve of animal origin were applied to isolated rabbit gutin vitro, two characteristic responses were obtained, associated with the α- and β-lytic titres respectively, and abolished by the corresponding antisera. They were independent of the origin of the strains.2. A non-specific response is also described which is thought to be due to the peptone in the medium.3. No effect that could be attributed to enterotoxin, such as was reported by Anderson (1953), was observed and it is concluded that isolated rabbit gut is unlikely to prove a useful indicator of its presence.We are indebted to Drs Mary Barber, J. M. Talbot, F. C. O. Valentine and H. Williams Smith for strains; to Dr R. E. O. Williams for strains and bacteriophage typing; to Prof. C. E. Dolman and Messrs Burroughs Wellcome for strains and antisera; to Mr F. Crisp of the Division of Experimental Biology, National Institute for Medical Research, Medical Research Council, for rabbit gut; and Dr H. O. Schild for continued interest and practical help.