title: A non-invasive quantitative assay to measure murine intestinal inflammation using the neutrophil marker lactoferrin.
abstract: Intestinal inflammation in mice is most frequently assessed by histology or FACS, processes that necessitate sacrificing mice. We developed a lactoferrin ELISA for murine feces to quantify intestinal inflammation in mice with enteric infections or colitis. Levels of fecal lactoferrin, a protein secreted by activated neutrophils, were consistent with neutrophil infiltration as assessed by histology, indicating that this fecal lactoferrin ELISA is a good alternative to histology. The fecal lactoferrin ELISA provides a non-invasive, quantitative assessment of intestinal inflammation, which should facilitate longitudinal studies of the development of and/or therapies reducing intestinal inflammation in individual mice and reduce the number of mice needed for such studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Logsdon
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mecsas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015012:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003902:Detergents; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D007781:Lactoferrin