Customized DSS-Induced Colitis Models

Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) is a polyanionic dextran derivative. Acute ulcerative colitis (UC) or chronic colitis was induced by dissolving DSS in drinking water, destroying mouse intestinal epithelial cells and releasing cytokines from non-specific immune cells, which ultimately led to the disruption of the integrity of the mucosal barrier. Symptoms in this model are very similar to those of human UC, mainly diarrhea, mucus-like stools, fecal occult blood, bloody stools in the naked eye, weight loss, reduced mobility, and deterioration of coat color. At present, the DSS colitis model has become a very important therapeutic tool for the study of UC etiology and pathogenesis.

Fig. 1. DSS-induced colitis in mice is a commonly used experimental model for IBD study. Fig. 1. DSS-induced intestinal inflammation in mice. (Chassaing et al., 2014)

Our DSS-Induced Colitis Models

Ace Therapeutics offers customized DSS-induced acute and chronic colitis models to help clients study disease mechanisms and develop appropriate palliative and therapeutic strategies. The concentration and frequency of DSS administration, treatment duration, and animal species can be selected based on the study objectives.

Animal Models of DSS-Induced Acute Colitis

High concentrations of DSS are used to model acute colitis, such as giving mice 3%-5% DSS freely for one week. The manifestations of the acute colitis model are:

Colon congestion, edema, shortening, brittleness, and increased weight-to-length ratio
Varying degrees of colonic ulceration, mucosal edema, loss of cupped cells, and swelling and destruction of crypts
Varying degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration of the mucosa and submucosa and epithelial cell damage

Animal models of DSS-induced acute colitis. Fig. 2. Animal models of DSS-induced acute colitis.

Animal Models of DSS-Induced Chronic Colitis

Low concentrations of DSS are used to model chronic colitis, such as giving mice 1%-3% DSS ad libitum for several weeks. The manifestations of the chronic colitis model are:

Significant shortening of the colon, epithelial hyperplasia, mucosal fibrosis, and enlarged lymph nodes
Granulation tissue hyperplasia and tumor-like changes are seen in some animals

Fig. 3. Animal models of DSS-induced chronic colitis. Fig. 3. Animal models of DSS-induced chronic colitis.

Animal Species for DSS Modeling

We model DSS-induced colitis using mice (e.g., BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice) and rats (e.g., Sprague-Dawley (SPD) rat). In addition, zebrafish, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs, and monkeys (e.g., Macaca mulatta and Chlorocebus sabaeus) are also modeled for DSS-induced colitis. The concentration of DSS in the modeling process and the modeling period for each species are customized according to the needs of clients.

Preclinical Evaluation in DSS-Induced Colitis Models

Ace Therapeutics assists clients with the validation and downstream analysis of DSS-induced colitis models. Our advanced technology platform ensures that you will find reliable and easy-to-use tools to enhance your experiments.

Body weight recording: Start the day before DSS administration, weigh and record the weight of each group of animals every day until the end of drug administration, and plot the curve of body weight change.
Fecal profile recording: Record the fecal profile of each group of animals daily and evaluate the Disease Activity Index (DAI).
Intestinal tissue sampling and macroscopic scoring: Colon will be collected for weighing and length measurement.
Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of colon.
Analysis of cytokine and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity.

Ace Therapeutics builds stable DSS-induced colitis models in various animals, which can be used for preclinical IBD studies and drug efficacy evaluation. We ensure that our clients receive high-quality measurements of disease endpoints. Need to know more? Contact us now.

Reference

Chassaing, B., et al. (2014). Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis in mice. Current protocols in immunology, 104(1), 15-25.

! For research use only, not intended for any clinical use.