[Production of enterotoxins by Bacteroids fragilis strains--effect of clindamycin]

Four B. fragilis strains were examined: one nonenterotoxigenic (NTBF) and three producing enterotoxin (ETBF). The growth of cultures was determined and enterotoxin, which is released to the culture medium during growth of strains, was detected. BHI broth and BHI broth with addition of subinhibitory doses (sub-MIC) of clindamycin were applied. Bacterial cultures were incubated at 37 degrees C for 48 hours. After 4, 8, 16, 24, 48 hours of cultivation, samples of bacterial cultures were collected and the optical density was measured. Then the samples were centrifuged, supernatants were filtered through 0.45 micron filters and concentrated three times with 5000 D ultrafilters. Prepared samples were kept frozen at -70 degrees C until used. The titre of enterotoxin in samples was determined on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT 29/C1. Neutralization assay was performed with culture filtrates, which were enterotoxin-positive and with rabbit anti-enterotoxin serum. The results of the experiments indicate that enterotoxin is detected after 16 hours of incubation of ETBF strains. Clindamycin at subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) inhibits the growth of B. fragilis cultures. The antibiotic causes also delay and decrease in enterotoxin production by ETBF strains.