title: Analyzing Beneficial Effects of Nutritional Supplements on Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Functions During Experimental Colitis.
abstract: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic relapsing disorders of the intestines. They cause severe problems, such as abdominal cramping, bloody diarrhea, and weight loss, in affected individuals. Unfortunately, there is no cure yet, and treatments only aim to alleviate symptoms. Current treatments include anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs that may cause severe side effects. This warrants the search for alternative treatment options, such as nutritional supplements, that do not cause side effects. Before their application in clinical studies, such compounds must be rigorously tested for effectiveness and security in animal models. A reliable experimental model is the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis model in mice, which reproduces many of the clinical signs of ulcerative colitis in humans. We recently applied this model to test the beneficial effects of a nutritional supplement containing vitamins C and E, L-arginine, and ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). We analyzed various disease parameters and found that this supplement was able to ameliorate edema formation, tissue damage, leukocyte infiltration, oxidative stress, and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to an overall improvement in the disease activity index. In this article, we explain in detail the correct application of nutritional supplements using the DSS colitis model in C57Bl/6 mice, as well as how disease parameters such as histology, oxidative stress, and inflammation are assessed. Analyzing the beneficial effects of different diet supplements may then eventually open new avenues for the development of alternative treatment strategies that alleviate IBD symptoms and/or that prolong the phases of remission without causing severe side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute.
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vargas Robles
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute.
authors.forename: Karla Fabiola
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Castro Ochoa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neurosciences, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute.
authors.forename: Porfirio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nava
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute.
authors.forename: Angélica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva Olivares
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute.
authors.forename: Mineko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute; mschnoor@cinvestav.mx.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schnoor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016264:Dextran Sulfate / Q000633:toxicity; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D001120:Arginine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid