Acute and chronic model induced by Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)
🔍 WHY IS IT USEFUL?
The TNBS-induced colitis model is an experimental tool used to study intestinal inflammation, particularly Crohn’s disease and intestinal fibrosis, a common complication in IBD patients. It reproduces key features of human IBD and allows for the testing of new anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic therapies. We use this well-validated model in our laboratory in both mice and rats.
🔍 HOW DOES THE MODEL WORK?
In mice or rats, colitis is induced by administering TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid) directly into the rectum along with ethanol, which increases intestinal permeability. This combination triggers a strong inflammatory response similar to the human condition, with inflammation extending through the entire intestinal wall (transmural inflammation).
Mice or rats receive a rectal injection of TNBS/ethanol under anesthesia.
In the first few days, you typically observe weight loss, bloody diarrhea, and clear signs of inflammation.
The severity of symptoms depends on the mouse/rat strain and the dose used.
The model can be induced in both acute form (5–7 days) through a single rectal injection of TNBS and in chronic form (45–50 days), by administering TNBS in increasing doses over several weeks, as shown in the following scheme:
PARAMTERS EVALUATED
- Clinical parameters: Body weight loss and Disease Activity Index (DAI)
- Colon length
- Histopathological analysis using RACHMILEWITZ (1) and DIELEMAN (2) scores
- IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSES. We routinely perform immunohistochemical analyses on any type of murine tissue, including intestinal tissue
- ADDITIONAL ANALYSES: Sircol assay for collagen evaluation, FACS, RNA sequencing, Metagenomics, Lipidomics, Integrated bioinformatic analyses, Multiplex Immunoassay, RT-PCR, ELISA kits for cytokines and chemokines.
(1) Rachmilewitz, D. et al. Gastroenterology 2002; 122: 1428–1441;
(2)Dieleman, Palmen, Akol, et al. Clin Exp Immunol 1998; 114: 385–391.
M: Mucosa; MM: Musculati mucosae; SM: Submucosa.