Interleukin-10 is differentially expressed in the small intestine and the colon experiencing chronic inflammation and ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate in young pigs

Physiol Res. 2017 Mar 31;66(1):147-162. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.933259. Epub 2016 Oct 26.

Abstract

Intestinal inflammation induced with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) is used to study acute or chronic ulcerative colitis in animal models. Decreased gut tissue anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 concentration and mRNA abundance are associated with the development of chronic bowel inflammation. Twelve piglets of 3 days old were fitted with an intragastric catheter and randomly allocated into control and DSS groups by administrating either sterile saline or 1.25 g of DSS/kg body weight (BW) in saline per day, respectively, for 10 days. Growth rate and food conversion efficiency were reduced (p<0.05) in the DSS piglets compared with the control group. Quantitative histopathological grading of inflammation in the jejunum and colon collectively showed that the DSS treatment resulted in 12 fold greater (p<0.05) inflammation severity scoring in the colon than in the jejunum, indicative of chronic ulcerative colitis in the colon. Upper gut permeability endpoint was 27.4 fold higher (p<0.05) in the DSS group compared with the control group. The DSS group had higher concentrations and mRNA abundances (p<0.05) of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the jejunal and colonic tissues compared with the control group. Colonic concentration and mRNA abundance of IL-10 were reduced (p<0.05), however, jejunal IL-10 mRNA abundance was increased (p<0.05) in the DSS group compared with the control group. In conclusion, administration of DSS at 1.25 g/kg BW for 10 days respectively induced acute inflammation in the jejunum and chronic inflammation and ulcerative colitis in the colon with substantially decreased colonic concentration and mRNA abundance of IL-10 in the young pigs, mimicking the IL-10 expression pattern in humans Associated with chronic bowel inflammation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / chemically induced*
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / metabolism*
  • Colitis, Ulcerative / pathology
  • Colon / drug effects
  • Colon / metabolism*
  • Colon / pathology
  • Dextran Sulfate / toxicity*
  • Gene Expression
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Interleukin-10 / biosynthesis*
  • Interleukin-10 / genetics
  • Intestine, Small / drug effects
  • Intestine, Small / metabolism*
  • Intestine, Small / pathology
  • Swine

Substances

  • Interleukin-10
  • Dextran Sulfate