Effect of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection on the transmembrane potential of the swine intestine.

Transmural potential difference and short-circuit current were measured on membranes of swine small intestine as an index of transport activity for sodium ion. The measurements were made in vitro on membranes prepared from control and E. coli 0138-infected intestinal loops from weanling pigs. Measurements were made on duodenal and upper, middle and lower jejunal segments. No differences were noted in the transmembrane potential difference and the short-circuit current between the control and the experimentally infected loops.