2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis in Rattus norgevicus: a categorization proposal

Autores da FMUP

• Fernando José Magro Dias

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Ferreira Duarte, M
• Rodrigues Pinto, T
• Menezes Pinto, D
• Esteves Monteiro, M
• Goncalves Monteiro, S
• Capas Peneda, S
• Dias Pereira, P
• Morato, M.
• Duarte Ara?jo, M.

Unidades de investigação

• Biomedicina

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

Reproducibility in animal research is crucial for its reliance and translational relevance. The 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is widely used but inconsistently and incompletely characterized throughout the literature. This hinders comparisons between studies and influences the low rate of translation of effective preclinical molecules. The purpose of this study was to categorize TNBS-induced colitis, based on macroscopic and microscopic scoring systems, and to identify basic routine parameters that could anticipate those categories. We retrospectively analysed male Wistar Rattus norvegicus (n=28 for the control group and n=87 for the TNBS group) and categorized TNBS-induced colitis in three phenotypes: Mild, Moderate and Severe colitis, as for human IBD. Also, we showed that the time course of food intake and fecal excretion (but not body weight, fluid intake or welfare scores) could foresee those categories. So, routine evaluation of food intake and fecal excretion may guide researchers in planning their experiments, selecting the animals with the severity of colitis that better matches their aims, or applying early humane endpoints to animals that will not be used in the experiments. In conclusion, categorizing TNBS-induced colitis enhances the reproducibility of data gathered with this experimental model a nd strengths its translational relevance.

Keywords

• 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis; animal model; categorization; inflammatory bowel disease