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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
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Mongolian Gerbils as an Animal Model of Wound Healing
Published on: January 6, 2023
The Mongolian gerbil as a model for inflammatory bowel disease
Eva-Maria Bleich1, Myriam Martin, André Bleich
1Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover, Germany.
International Journal of Experimental Pathology
|February 2, 2010
Summary
This study establishes a reliable dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) model in Mongolian gerbils. This optimized gerbil model offers a valuable tool for future IBD research and therapeutic studies.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Animal Models
Background:
- Mongolian gerbils are valuable biomedical research models.
- Existing rodent models may not fully capture human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and characterize a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced model of IBD in gerbils.
- To evaluate the gerbil model for in vivo therapeutic studies.
Main Methods:
- Gerbils received varying concentrations of DSS (0.5%-4%) in drinking water for 7 days.
- An optimized protocol used 3% DSS for 9 days.
- Clinical scores, fluid uptake, and histological analysis of the cecum and colon were performed.
Main Results:
- DSS administration affected fluid uptake, with clinical symptoms appearing by day 4 at 2% and 4% DSS concentrations.
- Histological analysis revealed inflammation and ulceration, predominantly in the cecum (≥1% DSS) and colon (≥2% DSS).
- The 9-day protocol with 3% DSS induced reproducible typhlocolitis in the colon, comparable to mouse models.
Conclusions:
- DSS treatment reproducibly induces typhlocolitis in Mongolian gerbils.
- This optimized gerbil model is suitable for IBD research and therapeutic evaluations.
