title: Mucosal function in rat jejunum and ileum is altered by induction of colitis.
abstract: Many studies dealing with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis in rats have been carried out referring only to the colon. In humans, ulcerative colitis (UC) can extend a variable distance into the terminal ileum in a phenomenon known as backwash ileitis (BWI). The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effect of TNBS-induced colitis on different aspects of the rat ileum and jejunum. We hypothesized that TNBS administration would lead to a systemic influence on the small intestine. Rats were induced colitis by administration of 0.25 ml of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid and 72 h after colitis induction animals were sacrificed. Segments were taken of the colon, ileum and jejunum. In addition to mucin mRNA expression, morphological changes were observed in the jejunum and ileum. We examined the mRNA expression and biochemical activity of brush border enzyme, sucrase iso-maltase and aminopeptidase, in all three segments. The villous surface area of colitis-induced rats was smaller in jejunum and ileum compared to control. In the jejunum of TNBS-induced rats, goblet-cell volume increased and their density decreased. The relative amount of MUC2 mRNA decreased in the jejunum, ileum and colon of colitis rat. However, MUC3 mRNA expression increased in the ileum and colon of these rats. Sucrase isomaltase expression and activity decreased in the ileum of TNBS-induced rats, while aminopeptidase activity was lower in the jejunum. These observations suggest that intrarectal administration of TNBS to rats influences not only their colon and terminal ileum, but also the proximal ileum and jejunum. Involvement of the ileum and jejunum in TNBS-induced colitis may be related to the systemic reaction of the immune system and mucosa to colitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Einat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amit-Romach
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reifen
authors.forename: Zehava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Uni
mesh_terms: D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008871:Microvilli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013394:Sucrase-Isomaltase Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; D013394:Sucrase-Isomaltase Complex; D000626:Aminopeptidases