Intestinal inflammation and barrier function in HLA-B27/beta 2-microglobulin transgenic rats.
BACKGROUND
Since intestinal inflammation is correlated with impaired barrier functions, transgenic HLA-B27/human beta 2-microglobulin rats that spontaneously develop intestinal inflammation were used to investigate whether onset of inflammation or impaired barrier function was the initial event.


METHODS
During the age period of 9-14 weeks, transgenic and non-transgenic (control) rats were gavaged weekly with the marker molecules, 51Cr-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin, and albumin, which were quantified in blood or urine.


RESULTS
At 12 weeks of age the first signs of inflammation appeared with decreased body weight gain, decreased urine production, and onset of diarrhea. By 14-15 weeks of age all transgenic rats had developed intestinal inflammation, as confirmed by histology and increased myeloperoxidase content, whereas no inflammation was observed in controls. Intestinal passage of the markers did, however, not differ between transgenic and control rats over the studied period.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that intestinal inflammation precedes altered intestinal barrier function in this inflammation model.
Lundin
P D
PD
Dept. of Animal Physiology, Lund University, Sweden.
Ekström
G
G
Erlansson
M
M
Lundin
S
S
Weström
B R
BR
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D003092:Colitis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D009195:Peroxidase