Mechanism for Toxicity of Cytolysin Produced by Vibrio vulnificus

Won, Young Ho; Kim, Young Pio; Kim, Hyung Rho

Abstract

The extracellular cytolysin produced by V. ulnificus has gained great attention as a causative factor for the pathogenesis of V. vulnificus-infected disease. In this study, an attempt was made to elucidated the mechanism for the toxity of cytolysin. 1. Cytolysin given to mouse showed lethal activity with LD of 3.7 HU and produced hemoconcentration, suggesting that its lethal activitis attributable to the increased vascular permeability. 2. The lethal activity of cytolysin for mouse was prevented by intraperitoneal administration of clemastin or verapamil one hour before intravenous injection of cytolysin. 3. Treatment of peritoneal mast cells from rats with cytolysin stimulated histamine relesse irrespective of the prescence of extracellular Ca and the stimulatory effect of cytolysin was not affected by the pretreatment of mast cells with per tussis toxin. 4. The hemolytic activity and stimulatory effect of cytolysin on histamine release from mast cell were inhibited by cholesterol. The results suggest that the lethal activity of cytolysin is attributable to the increased vascular permeability which is resulted from the stimulation of histsmine release from mast cells and/or basophils by cytolysin.