Nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae 01 Intestinal Pathology in Adult Mice

The intestinal pathology caused by nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae 01 was examined in the sealed adult mouse (SAM) model. Histologic examination demonstrated that a nontoxigenic V. cholerae 01 strain that elicited maximum fluid accumulation (FA) in the small intestine of adult mice caused damages to the villi and necrosis of lymphoid elements within solitary submucosal lymphoid nodules in the Peyer's patches. Challenge of mice with a strain that did not elicit intestinal FA produced none of the above tissue responses. Increased FA activity, intestinal alterations, and tissue pathology caused by the nontoxigenic V. cholerae 01 indicate it's pathogenic potential.