Medium-chain triglycerides modulate ileitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid

Background: It is important to develop an appropriate animal model for further investigation into inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We therefore investigated a trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) ileitis model. Dietary fat in Crohn’s disease is still a controversial risk factor for IBD. We therefore also studied the effects of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and long-chain triglycerides (LCT) on TNBS ileitis. Methods and Results: An intraileal injection of TNBS induced ulceration and inflammation with thickening of the intestinal wall, which were characterized histologically by infiltration of polymorphic nuclear leucocytes and by granuloma formation. The mucosal damage score and serum sialic acid levels reached their highest 7 days after the TNBS injection and then gradually decreased. The mucosal damage series in the MCT group was significantly lower than in the LCT group, and levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) tended to be lower in the MCT group. Conclusions: These results suggested that TNBS enteritis might be useful as an IBD animal model and that MCT modulates intestinal inflammation and is less damaging than LCT. © 1999 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd