Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58 (6), 335-337, 2005
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Original Article
Shigella dysenteriae Type 1-Induced Diarrhea in Rats
Kamgang Rene*, Pouokam Kamgne Ervice Vidal, Fonkoua Marie Christine1, Penlap N. Beng Veronique2 and Biwole Sida Magloire3
General Endocrinology and Metabolism Systems, Laborataory of Animal Physiology and 2Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, 3Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I and 1Laboratory of Bacteriology, Centre Pasteur of Cameroon, Yaounde, Cameroon
(Received April 4, 2005. Accepted August 4, 2005)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: General Endocrinology and Metabolism Systems (GEMS), Laboratory of Animal Physiology, University of Yaounde I, P. O. Box 8127, Yaounde, Cameroon. E-mail: rkamgang@uycdc.uninet.cm, gemskruy@yahoo.fr
SUMMARY: With the aim of setting up an animal model of Shigella dysenteriae-induced diarrhea, Wistar rats received per os increasing densities of S. dysenteriae type 1 (Sd1). Inoculum of 12 x 108 Sd1 provoked dysenteric diarrhea within 24 h. Feces of healthy rats were molded, brown to black and rough. Rats developing diarrhea presented blood at the anal orifice; stools were soft or liquid containing mucus, or molded, smooth and mucus-coated. At times, stools appeared longer, dark and shiny due to the presence of mucus and blood, or molded, lumpy and brittle. Diarrheal induction was associated with abdominal ailment, progressive increase in stool weight and frequency, and increase in bacterial population. Sixty-seven percent of the total number of deaths had occurred by day 6 after diarrheal induction. These results indicate that Sd1 induced in rats a model of shigellosis which might be helpful for physiopathological and pharmacological studies of this type of infectious diarrhea.