Bacterial overgrowth and inflammation of small intestine after carboxymethylcellulose ingestion in genetically susceptible mice.
BACKGROUND
Detergents and emulsifiers added to food may destroy the mucus barrier, which normally isolates bacteria from the intestinal wall, and lead to chronic bowel inflammation in susceptible persons. We investigated the influence of 2% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) on the biostructure of the intestinal microbiota in IL-10 gene-deficient mice.


METHODS
Twenty to 27-week-old IL-10 gene-deficient mice received either 2% CMC solution (n = 7) or water (n = 6) orally for 3 weeks. Intestinal bacteria were investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization in paraffin-fixed sections of the intestine.


RESULTS
CMC-treated IL-10 gene-deficient mice demonstrated a massive bacterial overgrowth, distention of spaces between villi, with bacteria filling these spaces, adherence of bacteria to the mucosa, and migration of bacteria to the bottom of the crypts of Lieberkuehn. Leukocytes migrated into the intestinal lumen in 4 of the 7 CMC mice. The changes were similar to those observed in Crohn's disease in humans and were absent in control animals.


CONCLUSIONS
CMC induces bacterial overgrowth and small bowel inflammation in susceptible animals. Because of its ubiquity in products and its unrestricted use in food of the industrial world, CMC is an ideal suspect to account for the rise of IBD in the 20th century.
Humboldt University, Charité Hospital, Laboratory for Molecular Genetics, Polymicrobial Infections and Bacterial Biofilms, 10098 Berlin, Germany. alexander.swidsinski@charite.de
Alexander
A
Swidsinski
Victoria
V
Ung
Beate C
BC
Sydora
Vera
V
Loening-Baucke
Yvonne
Y
Doerffel
Hans
H
Verstraelen
Richard N
RN
Fedorak
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001765:Blind Loop Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice
D016753:Interleukin-10; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium