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Infection and Immunity, September 2003, p. 5371-5375, Vol. 71, No. 9
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.9.5371-5375.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Accumulation of Clostridium perfringens Epsilon-Toxin in the Mouse Kidney and Its Possible Biological Significance

Department of Microbiology,¹ Department of Anatomy,² Radioisotope Research Center,³ Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793,⁴ Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, National Fukuyama Hospital, Fukuyama City 720-8520, Japan⁵

Received 10 March 2003/ Returned for modification 23 April 2003/ Accepted 6 June 2003

In this paper we show that Clostridium perfringens epsilon-toxin accumulates predominantly in the mouse kidney, where it is distributed mainly in glomeruli, capillaries, and collecting ducts. Although some pycnotic and exfoliated epithelial cells were observed in distal tubuli and collecting ducts, there were no findings indicative of severe renal injury. Bilateral nephrectomy increased the mouse lethality of the toxin, suggesting that the kidney contributes to the host defense against the lethal toxicity of epsilon-toxin.

Editor: A. D. O'Brien

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