Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) model of colitis: an overview

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Comparative Clinical Pathology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The dextran sulphate sodium model of colitis has demonstrated several correlations with human inflammatory bowel disease and is deemed suitable for investigating pathogenesis, therapeutic options and the dysplasia–adenocarcinoma sequence of inflammatory bowel disease. It is widely applicable to mice, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs. This review explores the features of this model and identifies areas for further research studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Axelsson LG, Landstrom E, Goldschmidt TJ, Gronberg A, Bylund-Fellenius AC (1996) Dextran sulfate sodium (dss) induced experimental colitis in immunodeficient mice: effects in cd4(+) -cell depleted, athymic and nk-cell depleted scid mice. Inflamm Res 45:181–191

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Axelsson L, Landstrom E, Bylund-Fellenius A (1998) Experimental colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium in mice: beneficial effects of sulphasalazine and olsalazine. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 12:925

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey RW, Bourne EJ (1961) Intracellular glycosidases of dextran-producing bacteria. Nature 191:277–278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Breider MA, Eppinger M, Gough A (1997) Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression in dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in rats. Vet Pathol 34:598–604

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Chou K, Fuchs E, Havran WL, Boismenu R (2002) Protection of the intestinal mucosa by intraepithelial gamma delta t cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99:14338–14343

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiba T (1993) cell kinetics of carcinoma originating from rat colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium. Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi 90:774–781

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clapper ML, Cooper HS, Chang WC (2007) Dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis-associated neoplasia: a promising model for the development of chemopreventive interventions. Acta Pharmacol Sin 28:1450–1459

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper HS, Murthy SN, Shah RS, Sedergran DJ (1993) Clinicopathologic study of dextran sulfate sodium experimental murine colitis. Lab Invest 69:238–249

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper HS, Murthy S, Kido K, Yoshitake H, Flanigan A (2000) Dysplasia and cancer in the dextran sulfate sodium mouse colitis model. Relevance to colitis-associated neoplasia in the human: a study of histopathology, b-catenin and p53 expression and the role of inflammation. Carcinogenesis 21:757–768

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dieleman LA, Palmen MJ, Akol H, Bloemena E, Pena AS, Meuwissen SG, Van Rees EP (1998) Chronic experimental colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium (dss) is characterized by th1 and th2 cytokines. Clin Exp Immunol 114:385–391

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Egger B, Bajaj-Elliott M, MacDonald TT, Inglin R, Eysselein VE, Buchler MW (2000) Characterisation of acute murine dextran sodium sulphate colitis: cytokine profile and dose dependency. Digestion 62:240–248

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elson CO, Sartor RB, Tennyson GS, Riddell RH (1995) Experimental models of inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterology 109:1344–1367

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elson C, Cong Y, Brandwein S et al (1998) Experimental models to study molecular mechanisms underlying intestinal inflammation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 859:85–95

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudio E, Taddei G, Vetuschi A, Sferra R, Frieri G, Ricciardi G, Caprilli R (1999) Dextran sulfate sodium (dss) colitis in rats: clinical, structural, and ultrastructural aspects. Dig Dis Sci 44:1458–1475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Geier MS, Smith CL, Butler RN, Howarth GS (2008) Small-intestinal manifestations of dextran sulfate sodium consumption in rats and assessment of the effects of lactobacillus fermentum br11. Dig Dis Sci 54:1222–1228

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hans W, Scholmerich J, Gross V, Falk W (2000) The role of the resident intestinal flora in acute and chronic dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 12:267–273

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iwanaga T, Hoshi O, Han H, Fujita T (1994) Morphological analysis of acute ulcerative colitis experimentally induced by dextran sulfate sodium in the guinea pig: some possible mechanisms of cecal ulceration. J Gastroenterol 29:430–438

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kitajima S, Takuma S, Morimoto M (1999a) Changes in colonic mucosal permeability in mouse colitis induced with dextran sulfate sodium. Exp Anim 48:137–143

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kitajima S, Takuma S, Morimoto M (1999b) Tissue distribution of dextran sulfate sodium (dss) in the acute phase of murine dss-induced colitis. J Vet Med Sci 61:67–70

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kitajima S, Morimoto M, Sagara E, Shimizu C, Ikeda Y (2001) Dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in germ-free iqi/jic mice. Exp Anim 50:387–395

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kullmann F, Messmann H, Alt M, Gross V, Bocker T, Scholmerich J, Ruschoff J (2001) Clinical and histopathological features of dextran sulfate sodium induced acute and chronic colitis associated with dysplasia in rats. Int J Colorectal Dis 16:238–246

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mahler M, Bristol IJ, Leiter EH, Workman AE, Birkenmeier EH, Elson CO, Sundberg JP (1998) Differential susceptibility of inbred mouse strains to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. Am J Physiol 274:G544–551

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mahler M, Bristol IJ, Sundberg JP, Churchill GA, Birkenmeier EH, Elson CO, Leiter EH (1999) Genetic analysis of susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice. Genomics 55:147–156

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mallon PT, Mckenna M, Kirk SJ, Gardiner KR (2006) Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced colitis reduces mucosal barrier function in Sprague-Dawley rats. Canadian Digestive Diseases Week (CDDW) February 24th–February 27th, 2006 ed. Banff, Alberta, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology

  • Marcus R, Watt J (1969) Seaweeds and ulcerative colitis in laboratory animals. Lancet 2:489–490

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marcus R, Watt J (1971) Colonic ulceration in young rats fed degraded carrageenan. Lancet 2:765–766

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murthy SN, Cooper HS, Shim H, Shah RS, Ibrahim SA, Sedergran DJ (1993) Treatment of dextran sulfate sodium-induced murine colitis by intracolonic cyclosporin. Dig Dis Sci 38:1722–1734

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murthy S, Cooper HS, Yoshitake H, Meyer C, Meyer CJ, Murthy NS (1999) Combination therapy of pentoxifylline and tnfalpha monoclonal antibody in dextran sulphate-induced mouse colitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 13:251–260

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ni J, Chen SF, Hollander D (1996) Effects of dextran sulphate sodium on intestinal epithelial cells and intestinal lymphocytes. Gut 39:234–241

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ohkusa T (1985) production of experimental ulcerative colitis in hamsters by dextran sulfate sodium and changes in intestinal microflora. Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi 82:1327–1336

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Okayasu I, Hatakeyama S, Yamada M, Ohkusa T, Inagaki Y, Nakaya R (1990) A novel method in the induction of reliable experimental acute and chronic ulcerative colitis in mice. Gastroenterology 98:694–702

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poritz LS, Garver KI, Green C, Fitzpatrick L, Ruggiero F, Koltun WA (2007) Loss of the tight junction protein zo-1 in dextran sulfate sodium induced colitis. J Surg Res 140:12–19

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stevceva L, Pavli P, Husband AJ, Doe WF (2001) The inflammatory infiltrate in the acute stage of the dextran sulphate sodium induced colitis: B cell response differs depending on the percentage of dss used to induce it. BMC Clin Pathol 1:3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Meeteren ME, Meijssen MA, Zijlstra FJ (2000) The effect of dexamethasone treatment on murine colitis. Scand J Gastroenterol 35:517–521

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Venkatraman A, Ramakrishna BS, Pulimood AB, Patra S, Murthy S (2000) Increased permeability in dextran sulphate colitis in rats: time course of development and effect of butyrate. Scand J Gastroenterol 35:1053–1059

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verdu EF, Bercik P, Cukrowska B, Farre-Castany MA, Bouzourene H, Saraga E, Blum AL, Corthesy-Theulaz I, Tlaskalova-Hogenova H, Michetti P (2000) Oral administration of antigens from intestinal flora anaerobic bacteria reduces the severity of experimental acute colitis in balb/c mice. Clin Exp Immunol 120:46–50

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watt J, Marcus R (1969) Ulcerative colitis in the guinea-pig caused by seaweed extract. J Pharm Pharmacol 21(Suppl):187S+

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamada M, Ohkusa T, Okayasu I (1992) Occurrence of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma after experimental chronic ulcerative colitis in hamsters induced by dextran sulphate sodium. Gut 33:1521–1527

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida Y, Iwai A, Itoh K, Tanaka M, Kato S, Hokari R, Miyahara T, Koyama H, Miura S, Kobayashi M (2000) Role of inducible nitric oxide synthase in dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 14:26–32

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Northern Ireland Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group, Daisy Hill Hospital Newry and Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast for funding this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Queens University of Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BJ, UK

    Livingstone Solomon, Peter Mallon, Eilish Donnelly, Margaret Hoper, Stephen Kirk & Keith Gardiner

  2. Department of Pathology, Queens University of Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BJ, UK

    Sorsiah Mansor & Morris Loughrey

Authors
  1. Livingstone Solomon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sorsiah Mansor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter Mallon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Eilish Donnelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Margaret Hoper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Morris Loughrey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Stephen Kirk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Keith Gardiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Livingstone Solomon.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Solomon, L., Mansor, S., Mallon, P. et al. The dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) model of colitis: an overview. Comp Clin Pathol 19, 235–239 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-010-0979-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-010-0979-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation