[Pathological studies on corynebacterial ulcerative entero-colitis in rats treated with ACTH (author's transl)]

Ulcerative entero-colitis was developed in 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats treated daily with ACTH (4 mg/kg. s. c.) as well as necrotic purulent lesions in liver, kidney, lung or heart. Incidence of ulcerative lesions was 6.3% in Farm-A rats and 56% in Farm-B rats. Although ulcerative lesions were mostly observed in cecum, the similar lesions were also detected in distal ileum or proximal colon in some cases. Histologically, the lesions were characterized by focal necrosis demarcated from surrounding normal tissue containing a number of clumps of bacteria and cellular debris. Bacteriological examination revealed that provocation of Coryne-bacterium kutscheri by ACTH-treatment resulted in appearance of the lesions. By means of intravenous or intraperitoneal inoculation with the strain isolated from lesion similar lesions were produced in the cecum of inoculated rats under the ACTH-treatment.