Intestinal epithelium brush border and microsome chemistry. II. Cholera exoenterotoxin and neuramindase effects.

Abstract

Abstract A crude cholera toxin preparation, a purified cholera exoenterotoxin preparation and two commercial neuraminidase preparations were compared as to their effects on rabbit intestinal mucosa homogenate alkaline phosphatase and 5′-nucleotidase specific activity. Their effects on the brush border sucrase, trehalase, aryl amidase, and Mg-ATPase specific activities and sialic acids, phospholipids, cholesterol and glycolipids:protein ratios were also measured, together with their effects on microsome Mg-ATPase specific activity and sialic acids, phospholipids and cholesterol:protein ratios. The reduction in alkaline phosphatase specific activity seen with crude toxin was apparently due to the enterotoxin, as were the reductions in brush border sialic acids, and phospholipids:protein ratios and in microsome sialic acid: protein ratios. Commercial neuraminidase, at about 1000 times the activity found in the crude cholera toxin dose used, also reduced brush border and microsome sialic acids and lipids:protein ratios, but the pattern of the alterations in lipid:protein ratios differed from that seen with cholera enterotoxin.