Involvement of prostaglandin E2 synthesis in the intestinal secretory action of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin II.

The prostaglandin response of mouse intestinal epithelial cells after exposure to Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin II was examined. The quantity of prostaglandin E2 produced by the intestinal cells was directly related to the dose of heat-stable enterotoxin II. The change in the amount of prostaglandin E2 over time correlated to that of the volume of fluid released into the intestinal lumen. We then demonstrated that administration of heat-stable enterotoxin II into the intestinal loops of mice induced elevation of arachidonic acid and phosphatidic acid levels in intestinal epithelial cells. These results show that heat-stable enterotoxin II stimulates arachidonic acid metabolism in intestinal epithelial cells and that the synthesized prostaglandin E2 functions as a mediator of fluid secretion induced by this enterotoxin.