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Systematic Scoring Analysis for Intestinal Inflammation in a Murine Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Model
Published on: February 14, 2021
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A scoping review on reporting of methods in DSS colitis mouse models
Michaela Thallmair1, Paulin Jirkof1
1Office for Animal Welfare and 3R, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Laboratory Animals
|June 14, 2025
Summary
Reporting quality in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis mouse models has improved, particularly in refinement and completeness. However, critical details regarding model parameters and bias reduction remain inadequately reported in scientific publications.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Preclinical Research
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) represent a significant global health challenge with increasing incidence and prevalence.
- Murine models of colitis are crucial for understanding IBD pathogenesis and developing new therapies.
- Past criticisms have highlighted deficiencies in reporting standards for colitis studies in mice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review assessing improvements in the reporting quality of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis models.
- To evaluate reporting practices between two distinct time periods (2007/2008 and 2017) using PRISMA guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, PubMed Central, and Embase for DSS colitis studies.
- Data extraction focused on reporting of model specifics (DSS properties, animal details), bias reduction strategies (randomization, blinding), and welfare aspects (refinements, humane endpoints).
- 122 articles from 2007/2008 and 236 from 2017 were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A significant improvement was observed in reporting scores for refinement and overall completeness of reporting over time.
- Reporting of specific colitis model details (e.g., DSS properties, mouse strain, sex) and bias reduction measures remained suboptimal.
- While some aspects improved, the overall quality of reporting necessitates greater adherence to established guidelines.
Conclusions:
- While progress has been made in reporting refinements in DSS colitis models, substantial gaps persist in crucial methodological details.
- The research field needs to more consistently adopt reporting guidelines like ARRIVE or specific checklists for colitis studies.
- Enhanced reporting standards are essential for improving the reproducibility and reliability of preclinical IBD research.
