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Murine Colitis Modeling using Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)
08:39

Murine Colitis Modeling using Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)

Published on: January 19, 2010

Dextran sulfate sodium inhibits alanine synthesis in Caco-2 cells

Zhong Ye1, Darya O Mishchuk, Natasha S Stephens

  • 1Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|July 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induces colitis by damaging the intestinal epithelium. This study reveals DSS specifically inhibits alanine synthesis via alanine aminotransferase in Caco-2 cells, impacting inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Cell Biology
  • Metabolomics

Background:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis involves intestinal epithelial damage.
  • Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) is a common inducer of colitis in animal models.
  • The precise mechanisms by which DSS affects epithelial cell metabolism remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of DSS on the metabolism of intestinal epithelial cells.
  • To elucidate the specific metabolic pathways affected by DSS exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cell line.
  • Incubated cells with 1% DSS for 56 hours.
  • Analyzed cell supernatant metabolites using 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in cell viability was observed between DSS-treated and control groups.
  • DSS treatment led to a 1.5-fold increase in IL-6 production.
  • A three-fold decrease in alanine concentration was detected in the DSS-treated cell supernatant, while other amino acids remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

  • DSS selectively inhibits alanine synthesis, likely by targeting alanine aminotransferase.
  • This specific metabolic disruption may contribute to the pathogenic mechanisms of DSS-induced colitis.
  • Understanding DSS's effect on alanine aminotransferase is crucial for IBD research.
Keywords:
ALATALTCaco-2Crohn’s diseaseDSSIBDNMRalanine transaminasemetabolomicsmetabonomics

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