DEXTRAN SULFATE SODIUM INDUCES PAN-GASTROENTERITIS IN RODENTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDIES OF COLITIS

INTRODUCTIONSince first described in 1985 for use in hamsters (1) andsubsequently for use in mice (2), dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colonic injury and inflammation has grown to be themost widely employed model for studies of the pathogenesis andtreatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is thesimplicity and reproducibility of the DSS model that makes it soattractive to IBD researchers. Animals are provided withdrinking water supplemented with DSS and over the course ofthe days that follow, depending on the concentration of DSSused, colonic injury and inflammation develop.Another attractive feature of the DSS model is the simplicityof the markers of colitis that are commonly employed. Forexample, scoring for decreases in body weight, stool consistencyand fecal blood are very commonly used, and quite often are thesole end-points. The length of the colon is another commonlyused end-point, as shortening of the colon appears to correlatewith severity of colonic inflammation (2).Some of the most common criticisms of the model, or atleast of its application, include the failure, in many studies, tomonitor consumption of drinking water by the animals.Interventions (