We have demonstrated the existence of a receptor that is specific for the Escherichia coli heat‐stable enterotoxin (STa) on piglet's small intestine. The binding of STa to this receptor seemed specific, saturable and reversible. The receptor was demonstrated on brush border cells and membranes prepared from all of the piglets (n = 24) that developed clinical diarrhea when challenged with purified STa enterotoxin at the dose of 100 μg/kg body weight. The receptor was not demonstrated on intestinal brush border cells and membrane prepared from piglets (n = 3) that were refractory to the experimental induction of diarrhea. The data suggest that binding of the STa to a specific receptor on the small intestine of piglets is a prerequisite to the diarrheal response triggered by this toxin.
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