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Updated: May 3, 2026
Murine Colitis Modeling using Dextran Sulfate Sodium DSS
Published on: January 19, 2010
Chronic low-dose deltamethrin exposure induces colon injury and aggravates DSS-induced colitis via promoting cellular
Rulan Ma1, Xueni Wang2, Kaijie Ren1
1Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
Objective:
Deltamethrin (DLM) is a commonly used insecticide, which is harmful to many organs. Here, we explored the effects of chronic low-dose DLM residues on colon tissue and its potential mechanism.
Methods:
The mice were given long-term low-dose DLM by intragastric administration, and the body weights and disease activity index (DAI) scores of the mice were regularly recorded. The colon tissues were then collected for hematoxylin-eosin, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry staining. Besides, the RNA sequencing was performed to explore the potential mechanism.
Results:
Our results showed that long-term exposure to low-dose DLM could cause inflammation in mice colon tissue, manifested as weight loss, increased DAI score, increased apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells, and increased infiltration of inflammatory cells. However, we observed that after long-term exposure to DLM and withdrawal for a period of time, although apoptosis was restored, the recovery of colon inflammation was not ideal. Subsequently, we performed RNA sequencing and found that long-term DLM exposure could lead to the senescence of some cells in mice colon tissue. The results of staining of cellular senescence markers in colon tissue showed that the level of cellular senescence in the DLM group was significantly increased, and the p53 signalling related to senescence was also significantly activated, indicating that cellular senescence played a key role in DLM-induced colitis. We further treated mice with quercetin (QUE) after long-term DLM exposure, and found that QUE could indeed alleviate DLM-induced colitis. In addition, we observed that long-term accumulation of DLM could aggravate DSS-induced colitis in mice, and QUE treatment could reverse this scenario.
Conclusion:
Continuous intake of DLM caused chronic colitis in mice, and the inflammation persisted even after discontinuation of DLM intake. This was attributed to the induction of cellular senescence in colon tissue. Treatment with QUE alleviated DLM-induced colitis by reducing cellular senescence. Long-term DLM exposure also aggravated DSS-induced colitis, which could be mitigated by QUE treatment.
Insights
Chronic low-dose deltamethrin (DLM) exposure causes persistent colon inflammation in mice, driven by cellular senescence. Quercetin (QUE) treatment alleviates this colitis by reducing senescence.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Gastroenterology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Deltamethrin (DLM) is a widely used insecticide with known organ toxicity.
- Chronic exposure to low doses of DLM may pose risks to colon health.
- Understanding the mechanisms of DLM-induced colon damage is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of chronic low-dose DLM exposure on mouse colon tissue.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of DLM-induced colon pathology.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of quercetin (QUE) in mitigating DLM-induced colitis.
Main Methods:
- Mice received long-term, low-dose DLM via intragastric administration.
- Colon tissues were analyzed using histological staining (H&E) and molecular techniques (immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, RNA sequencing).
- Cellular senescence markers and p53 signaling pathway activation were assessed.
Main Results:
- DLM exposure induced colon inflammation, characterized by weight loss, increased disease activity index (DAI), epithelial cell apoptosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration.
- DLM exposure led to increased cellular senescence in colon tissue, with significant activation of the p53 signaling pathway.
- Quercetin (QUE) treatment alleviated DLM-induced colitis by reducing cellular senescence.
- DLM exposure aggravated DSS-induced colitis, an effect reversed by QUE treatment.
Conclusions:
- Continuous DLM intake induces chronic colitis in mice, with persistent inflammation due to cellular senescence.
- Cellular senescence is a key mechanism in DLM-induced colon inflammation.
- Quercetin demonstrates therapeutic potential in managing DLM-induced colitis by targeting cellular senescence.
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