Effect of Clostridium perfringens type D toxin on Caenorhabditis elegans

The search for an alternative in vivo diagnostic method for Clostridium perfringens toxinotype D (CPD) aimed to evaluate the susceptibility of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans CF512 CPD as a substitute for conventional biological models. The LD50 of the activated filtrate from CPD strain 426 was determined using a 96-well plate method over 23 h. We performed seroneutralization test with polyclonal anti-CPD toxin to determine the ND50. We observed significant differences between the toxin as the only factor and the toxin combined with polyclonal antibodies between 11 and 14 h after the test began. The evaluation of CPD toxin toxicity, as indicated by the survival or death of the nematode, suggests the potential utility of this model for future diagnostic applications. Although these initial findings provide insight into the CPD toxin's effect in this model, other toxins in the filtrate caused delayed effects. Future investigations employing purified toxins are expected to yield more precise data regarding mortality and neutralization. This study constitutes the inaugural evaluation of CPD effects within the C. elegans model, thereby offering direct implications for the biological diagnosis of this toxin and potentially enhancing the accuracy and efficacy of enterotoxemia detection and treatment.