Functional ablation of afferent nerves aggravates dextran sulphate sodium-induced colonic damage in rats

Dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) is an oral agent capable of inducing chronic diarrhoea and colonic inflammation and necrosis in rats. The role of the afferent nerves in this model of colonic mucosal damage is not known. The hypothesis that functional ablation of the capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves will aggravate DSS-induced colonic damage in rats was tested. Capsaicin pretreatment was used to ablate afferent nerve function and DSS was administered in the drinking water. Control rats received vehicle pretreatment and water without DSS. There were significant correlations between diarrhoea score, mucosal neutrophil infiltration, mucosal necrosis, and anaemia. Capsaicin pretreatment increased diarrhoea score and colonic mucosal neutrophil infiltration in the rats with colonic damage after 2 or 14 days of DSS. In addition, it induced anaemia and mortality in rats after 14 days of DSS. The data supports the hypothesis that functional ablation of the capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves aggravates the colonic damage induced by DSS.