The role of mast cells in the development of 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats.
BACKGROUND
The role of mast cells in Crohn disease (CD) remains to be established. The aim of this study was to elucidate this in the development of CD-like colitis in rats by the use of mast-cell-deficient Ws/Ws and their control W+/W+ rats.


METHODS
CD-like colitis was induced in both groups by an enema of 10 mg of 2,4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in 50% ethanol. Colonic damage, adhesion and colonic weight were measured at 7 and 14 days after the TNBS/ethanol enema. Rat mast cell protease-2 (RMCP-2) in the colonic tissue was also measured at 7 days after the enema.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between W+/W+ and Ws/Ws rats in terms of colonic damage, adhesion or colonic weight. The tissue content of RMCP-2 in Ws/Ws rats treated with either saline or TNBS/ethanol was only maintained at a much lower level than that in W+/W+ rats with the corresponding treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that mast cells are not essential in the development of 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats.
Fukumoto
Y
Y
Pharmacological Research Dept, Teijin Institute for Bio-Medical Research, Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo, Japan.
Kasai
H
H
Takahashi
H
H
Sugiyama
H
H
Hase
N
N
Kaneko
H
H
Hamamura
I
I
Aoki
Y
Y
Ota
M
M
Kobayashi
T
T
Katsuura
Y
Y
Kamimura
T
T
Komoriya
K
K
D000818:Animals; D053818:Chymases; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C083294:chymase 2; D053818:Chymases