Authors: Kimball ES, Palmer JM, D'Andrea MR, Hornby PJ, Wade PR.

Institution: Enterology Research Team, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical, Research and Development, Welsh and McKean Roads, PO Box 776, Spring House, PA, 19477-0776, USA. ekimball@prdus.jnj.com

Summary: Oil of mustard (OM) is a potent neuronal activator that promotes allodynia and hyperalgesia within minutes of application. In this study, OM was used to induce an acute colitis. We also investigated whether intracolonic OM-induced inflammation alters gastrointestinal (GI) function over a longer time frame as a model of postinflammatory irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS).

Mice given a single administration of 0.5% OM developed a severe colitis that peaked at day 3, was reduced at day 7, and was absent by day 14. At the peak response, there was body weight loss, colon shrinkage, thickening and weight increases, distension of the proximal colon, and diarrhea. Macroscopic inspection of the distal colon revealed a discontinuous pattern of inflammatory damage and occasional transmural ulceration. Histological examination showed loss of epithelium, an inflammatory infiltrate, destruction of mucosal architecture, edema, and loss of circular smooth muscle architecture.

OM administration increased transit of a carmine dye bolus from 58% of the total length of the upper GI tract in untreated age-matched controls to as high as 74% when tested at day 28 post-OM. Mice in the latter group demonstrated a significantly more sensitive response to inhibition of upper GI transit by the mu-opioid receptor agonist loperamide compared with normal mice.

OM induces a rapid, acute, and transient colitis and, in the longer term, functional changes in motility that are observed when there is no gross inflammation and thereby is a model of functional bowel disorders that mimic aspects of PI-IBS in humans.

Study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15691868&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum

• Effect of Transient Chemically Induced Colitis on the Visceromotor Response to Mechanical Colorectal Distension
• Experimental Colitis Alters Myenteric Nerve Function at Inflamed and Noninflamed Sites in the Rat
• Damage to the Enteric Nervous System in Experimental Colitis
• Previous Inflammation Alters the Response of the Rat Colon to Stress