Test for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli using Y1 adrenal cells in miniculture

Abstract

A rapid, potentially clinically useful test for detection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is described. Whole bacterial cultures of enterotoxigenic E. coli, when briefly exposed to Y1 adrenal cells in tissue miniculture, effect a rounding response in the tissue culture that can be discerned at 18 to 24 hr. The tissue culture technique agreed with the rabbit ileal loop in all 58 enterotoxigenic and 52 nonenterotoxigenic E. coli strains tested.