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An objective approach to assess colonic pain in mice using colonometry
Liya Y Qiao1,2, Jonathan Madar1
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America.
Plos One
|March 12, 2021
Summary
Colonometry, a non-surgical method, effectively measures colonic mechanical sensitivity in mice. This technique assesses colonic stretch-reflex contractions, proving valuable for studying colonic pain and hypersensitivity in research settings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Physiology
Background:
- Colonometry is established for assessing colonic function in humans.
- Its application in mice for evaluating colonic mechanical sensitivity and pain requires validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and validate colonometry as a non-surgical method for assessing colonic mechanical sensitivity in mice.
- To investigate the utility of colonometry in models of colonic hypersensitivity and pain.
Main Methods:
- Colonometry involved measuring intracolonic pressures during constant-rate saline infusion into the distal colon of mice.
- Colonic hypersensitivity was induced via TNBS-induced inflammation, chemogenetics, or colorectal distension (CRD).
- Changes in intracolonic pressure amplitude (AICP) and pressure rising rate (ΔP/Δt) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- An optimal saline infusion rate of 1.2 mL/h was determined for mouse colonometry.
- Colonic hypersensitivity models showed significantly elevated AICP and ΔP/Δt.
- Chemogenetic inhibition of Nav1.8-expressing primary afferent neurons reduced hypersensitivity markers and pain behavior.
Conclusions:
- Colonometry is a viable non-surgical technique for assessing colonic mechanical sensitivity and pain in mice.
- The method can detect heightened colonic sensory reflex activity associated with inflammation and noxious stimuli.
- Colonometry provides a valuable tool for preclinical research into gastrointestinal pain mechanisms.
