[Resection and enteroanastomosis in the ligated rabbit gut test as a modified and sparing operating procedure...

For detection of heat labile enterotoxin of E. coli we also carried out the ligated rabbit gut test, which was complicated by a high primary mortality. We modified the operating technique as follows. We interrupted the continuity of the ileum by resection of the segment containing the loops and restored the passage by an end-to-end-anastomosis of the oral and aboral stumps of the gut. The technique is explained by pictures. The strains from patients were incubated in Brain Heart Infusion broth (Difco) by 37 degrees C for 48 hours without shaking. The strains were tested both as suspensions and as sterile filtrates by injection of 2 ml each using positive (O 148:-:28, B 7 A) and negative controls (U 5/41 O 1:K1:H7, neotype strain). We used rabbits (Helle Grosssilber) weighing 1500 to 2500 g. Operation was performed under general anaesthesia with pentobarbital (SPOFA) and under aseptic conditions. After a period of 18 hours the animals were killed, and the index of enterosorpiton was estimated. An index of 1.0 or greater was regarded as positive. This technique is an sparing procedure, the artificial ileus is avoided, the surviving rate of the rabbits is higher, and the possibility is given to carry out long time studies on enteropathogenetic problems. The results of our studies on 17 rabbits with a total number of 100 loops are summarized in a table.