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Infection and Immunity, April 2000, p. 2254-2258, Vol. 68, No. 4
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Effects of Shiga Toxin 2 on Lethality, Fetuses, Delivery, and Puerperal Behavior in Pregnant Mice

Kazuaki Yoshimura,1,2,* Jun Fujii,2 Akihide Tanimoto,3 Takashi Yutsudo,4 Masamichi Kashimura,1 and Shin-ichi Yoshida5

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,1 Department of Microbiology,2 and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology,3 School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyshu 807-8555, Institute for Medical Science, Shionogi and Co., Ltd., Osaka 566-0022,4 and Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582,5 Japan

Received 5 August 1999/Returned for modification 30 September 1999/Accepted 3 January 2000

Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) is produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and is known as the major virulence factor of EHEC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Stx2 on (i) maternal lethality, (ii) fetuses, (iii) delivery period, and (iv) maternal behavior after delivery. Timed pregnant ICR mice were injected intravenously with Stx2 on day 5 of pregnancy (early stage) or on day 15 (late stage). In early-stage experiments, the number of normal fetuses of mice injected with Stx2 was significantly lower than that of control mice. In late-stage experiments, mothers injected with Stx2 delivered normal numbers of neonates, but could not take care of them. The lethal doses of Stx2 were not different for pregnant and nonpregnant female mice at either stage. We conclude that Stx2 is toxic to the fetus in early pregnancy and affects maternal puerperal behavior in late pregnancy.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, P&S 16-417, 630 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032. Phone: (212) 305-8693. Fax: (212) 305-3869. E-mail: yoppy{at}med.uoeh-u.ac.jp

Infection and Immunity, April 2000, p. 2254-2258, Vol. 68, No. 4
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Yoshimura, K., Tanimoto, A., Abe, T., Ogawa, M., Yutsudo, T., Kashimura, M., Yoshida, S.-i. (2002). Shiga Toxin 1 and 2 Induce Apoptosis in the Amniotic Cell Line WISH. Reproductive Sciences 9: 22-26 [Abstract]  
  • Ramachandran, V., Hornitzky, M. A., Bettelheim, K. A., Walker, M. J., Djordjevic, S. P. (2001). The Common Ovine Shiga Toxin 2-Containing Escherichia coli Serotypes and Human Isolates of the Same Serotypes Possess a Stx2d Toxin Type. J. Clin. Microbiol. 39: 1932-1937 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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