Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin Increases Fractional Free Water and Sodium Reabsorption in an Isolated Perfused Rat Kidney Model.

edema toxin (ET) consists of protective antigen (PA), necessary for host cell toxin uptake, and edema factor (EF), the toxic moiety which increases host cell cyclic AMP (cAMP). Since vasopressin stimulates renal water and sodium reabsorption via increased tubular cell cAMP levels, we hypothesized the ET would also do so. To test this hypothesis, we employed an isolated perfused rat kidney model.