Comparative Analysis of the Effect of Different Concentrations of Dextran Sodium Sulfate on the Severity and Extent of Inflammation in Experimental Ulcerative Colitis

• Published in: Applied sciences 2023-03, Vol.13 (5), p.3233
• Main Authors: Almutary, Abdulmajeed G, Alnuqaydan, Abdullah M, Almatroodi, Saleh A, Tambuwala, Murtaza M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Animal models; colitis; Colon; Comparative analysis; Cytokines; Development and progression; Dextran; Dextran sulfate; dextran sulfate sodium; Dextrans; Diarrhea; Drinking water; Drug delivery; Drug development; Etiology; histology; in-vitro; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Interleukins; Laboratories; Reproducibility; Sodium; Sodium sulfate; Sulfates; Sulfonic acid; Ulcerative colitis; Weight loss
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app13053233

Several chemicals, such as dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), oxazolone, acetic acid, and trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS), have been used for establishing animal models of ulcerative colitis. These animal models help us to study or explore several factors involved in the etiology or pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. They are also useful tools to design and develop effective drug delivery strategies. DSS is the most widely used tool to induce colitis in animals. The model of ulcerative colitis developed by this method effectively mimics the colitis condition in humans. The amount of DSS in drinking water can be adjusted to control the severity of colitis, such as acute or chronic inflammation. However, a miscalculation in the amount of DSS produces severe inflammation, which may lead to the death of mice. DSS has been shown to rupture the epithelial lining and induce infiltration of inflammatory markers such as TNF, interferons, and interleukins. The current study aims to study the effects of different amounts of DSS on weight loss, changes in colon length, and histological scoring. Furthermore, the main objective of this study was to find an optimum concentration of DSS to establish a mouse model for ulcerative colitis. Based on the disease index, weight loss, bleeding, histological studies, and colon length, 2.5% w/v DSS for 7 days in water was found to be adequate for the DSS-induced colitis model for a moderate level of colitis, and 3.5% w/v DSS could be used to study severe experimental colitis.