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The role of calcium and prostaglandins in the intestinal fluid response to Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) was investigated in infant mice. Drugs that inhibit calcium uptake-cromolyn sodium, diltiazem, and nifedipine-caused a significant (P less than 0.02, P less than 0.02, and P less than 0.01, respectively) decrease in the fluid response when administered with ST. The effect of cromolyn sodium and nifedipine was dose-dependent; both agents were effective when administered 30 min before toxin challenge. Inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis-quinacrine hydrochloride and zomepirac sodium-caused a significant (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.02, respectively) reduction in the fluid response when administered with or 30 min before ST. The fluid response to cyclic 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-monophosphate or to nitroprusside, which directly activated guanylate cyclase, was not altered by inhibitors of calcium uptake or prostaglandin synthesis. These observations indicate that calcium and prostaglandins are involved in the initial events that result in an intestinal fluid response to E. coli ST.

The binding of biologically active 125I-labeled heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) of Escherichia coli with cultured mammalian cells was dose dependent and could be inhibited with low concentrations of unlabeled toxin or by neutralization with specific antiserum. There was positive cooperativity among cell binding sites. A single cultured cell bound approximately 4 X 10(4) molecules of ST; the dissociation constant was 1.33 X 10(-10) M. The specific binding of ST was partially inhibited by Pronase (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Missouri) and trypsin, but not by lipid- or carbohydrate-specific enzymes, simple sugars, or saccharides. Addition of ST to cultures of rat basophilic leukemia cells resulted in a dose-dependent secretion of histamine. Pharmacologic agents that inhibited calcium uptake or prostaglandin synthesis decreased the amount of histamine released. These data demonstrate the specific binding of ST by cultured cells and support the contention that calcium and prostaglandins may be important in the molecular mechanism(s) whereby ST activates guanylate cyclase.