DIETARY, BACTERIAL, AND HOST GENETIC INTERACTIONS IN PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE MURINE COLONIC HYPERPLASIA

Abstract

Transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia, caused by a variant of Citrobacter freundii (4280), was modified by diet and by host strain and species. Four different diets fed to mice inoculated with C. freundii 4280 had a significant but varying influence on the severity of hyperplasia. Diet also influenced the colonic crypt height of uninoculated, control mice. F344 rats, Syrian hamsters and NIH Swiss [N:(S)], C57BL/6J, C3H/HeJ and DBA/2J mice were inoculated with C. freundii 4280. Marked strain differences were noted in the mice in mortality and severity of the colonic hyperplasia. The NIH Swiss mice had the greatest and the C57BL/6J mice had the least mucosal hyperplasia. The rats and hamsters did not develop disease or maintain infection after inoculation with the organism. Twenty isolates of Citrobacter from a range of biologic sources were inoculated into susceptible mice, but only mice inoculated with C. freundii 4280 developed the disease.