title: Positive correlation between disease activity index and matrix metalloproteinases activity in a rat model of colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, comprising a broad spectrum of diseases those have in common chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, histological alterations and an increased activity levels of certain enzymes, such as, metalloproteinases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate a possible correlation of disease activity index with the severity of colonic mucosal damage and increased activity of metalloproteinases in a model of ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Colitis was induced by oral administration of 5% dextran sulfate sodium for seven days in this group (n=10), whereas control group (n=16) received water. Effects were analyzed daily by disease activity index. In the seventh day, animals were euthanized and hematological measurements, histological changes (hematoxylin and eosin and Alcian Blue staining), myeloperoxidase and metalloproteinase activities (MMP-2 and MMP-9) were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dextran sulfate sodium group showed elevated disease activity index and reduced hematological parameters. Induction of colitis caused tissue injury with loss of mucin and increased myeloperoxidase (P<0.001) and MMP-9 activities (45 fold) compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we observed a disease activity index correlation with the degree of histopathological changes after induction of colitis, and this result may be related mainly to the increased activity of MMP-9 and mieloperoxidase.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Análise de Glicoconjugados, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo de
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Análise de Glicoconjugados, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: André Luiz da
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Análise de Glicoconjugados, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Amaury Caiafa
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Christina Marques Nogueira
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Castañon
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Gastroenterologia, Faculdade Medicina, UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Júlio Maria Fonseca
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chebli
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Análise de Glicoconjugados, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora - UFJF, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Jair Adriano Kopke de
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aguiar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D009195:Peroxidase; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9