ELECTRON AND LIGHT MICROSCOPE STUDY OF INTESTINAL VASCULATURE IN CHOLERA

Cholera was induced in guinea pigs by peroral feeding of a viable Vibrio cholerae culture. The animals were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hour stages. At 1, 1 12, 2 and 5 minute intervals prior to sacrifice the guinea pigs received a total of 55 mg ferritin in saline I.V. Electron microscopy of the gut mucosa revealed an accelerated passage of ferritin out of the capillary lumen via pinocytosis and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum network of the endothelium. No ferritin was seen to escape via patent endothelial junctions. Few cytotoxic effects were seen in the capillary endothelium. When degeneration and rarefication of the capillaries did occur, the ferritin particles were freely dispersed within the endothelial cytoplasm. A similar group of animals receiving MgSO4 to induce a non-toxic, osmotic diarrhea gave similar findings. Normal control animals showed a similar route of ferritin passage through the capillary endothelium. However, the rate of ferritin loss was much extended as compared to the experimentals. These findings suggest an accelerated, selective active transport of high molecular weight molecules across intoxicated endothelium in the face of minimal pathologic changes. When cyto-toxic effects are demonstrable, the loss of cellular organization is reflected in the loss of selective molecular permeability.