Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to chronic inflammatory disease of the colon or gastrointestinal tract, including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Clinical symptoms of IBD include diarrhea, abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding/hematochezia, fever, and weight loss. The pathogenesis of IBD is not clear, however studies have shown that various factors such as genetic, immune system, external environment and intestinal microorganisms are associated with the occurrence of IBD.
A variety of preclinical mouse models are currently used to study IBD. Depending on the specific use, different induction methods can yield disease models. The mouse enteritis model conferred by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) is the most widely used chemically-induced mouse IBD model. Acute ulcerative enteritis or chronic colitis is induced in mice by dissolving DSS in drinking water, resulting in loss of intestinal epithelial cells, cytokine release by non-specific immune cells, and disruption in the integrity of the mucosal barrier. IBD-induced mouse models experience significant weight loss, loose stools, hematochezia, and granulocyte infiltration, altogether suggesting that pathological features and clinical symptoms are similar to those seen in human ulcerative colitis.
Biocytogen generated a stable IBD-induced model using DSS in wild-type C57BL/6 mice, which can be used for preclinical studies and pharmacodynamic evaluation of inflammatory enteritis.
