This video demonstrates a technique to generate a chemical-induced murine model of colitis — an inflammatory bowel disease. The mouse is allowed to consume a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for an adequate duration. Upon consumption, DSS damages the mucus and epithelial layer barrier in the colon, allowing gut microbes to enter the underlying tissue — where they are sensed by the resident immune cells to mediate an exaggerated immune response, resulting in inflammation.
Protocol
All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board. 1. Preparation of Mice and DSS Keep the knockout (α-gustducin-/-) mice and age-, gender-, and body weight-matched wild-type control (α-gustducin+/+) C57BL/6 mice individually in clean cages. NOTE: The knockout mice have been backcrossed with C57BL/6 mice for over 20 g…