[Infections with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in cattle. 1. Comparison of different animal models and a cell culture system for the establishment of a detection system for "attaching and effacing" (AE) lesions].

In several animals species, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) were described as agents causing diarrhea. The histopathogenic pattern of EPEC is due to a typical adherence to enterocytes, called "attaching and effacing" (AE). This lesions are characterized by the formation of pedestals, cups and a marked loss of microvilli on enterocytes. In view of using an "in vitro system" (HeLa-cell culture) to test the adherence of EPEC, we first tested bovine EPEC in several laboratory animals. Various strains of mice, one day chicks (peroral) and a three day old calf (ligated intestinal loops) were inoculated with a bovine pathogenic EPEC (S 102-9). The adherence of EPEC "in vivo" was histologically, electron microscopically and bacteriologically investigated and compared to adherence to HeLa cell cultures. AE-lesions were found on calf enterocytes as well as on HeLa-cells, no lesions were seen in mice and chicks. The ligated intestinal loop test seems to be a useful model to compare "in vivo" to "in vitro" adherence.