Complement component 6 deficiency increases susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium-induced murine colitis

As a potent effector of innate immunity, the complement system has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the role of the membrane attack complex (MAC) in the development of IBD is still largely unknown. Here, we used C6-deficient mice in which MAC formation was blocked due to the absence of C6 to develop an acute colitis model by the administration of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The results showed that DSS-induced colitis was aggravated in C6-deficient mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice, as represented by the markedly greater weight loss, higher disease activity index (DAI), shortened colon length, more severe histological injury with increased epithelial ulcerations, and massively increased infiltration of leukocytes accompanied by much higher myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in local inflammatory colonic sites. In addition, the DSS-induced colitis in C6-deficient mice could be significantly ameliorated by the exogenous C6 from WT sera. Furthermore, the significantly enhanced production of pro-inflammatory mediators, including IL-1β, IL-6, CXCL-1, CCL-3, TGF-β1 and IL-17F, was also observed in C6-deficient mice. Unexpectedly, the aggravated colitis in C6-deficient mice may be not due to the increase of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in serum. Overall, we demonstrated that MAC exerts a protective role in acute colitis, strongly highlighting the host defense function of the complement system.