Effects of prebiotic inulin pre‐treatment on susceptibility to DSS‐induced colitis in mice

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic intestinal disease that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Previous studies have found alterations in the microbiome in IBD and in animal models of IBD, underscoring the role of the intestinal microbiota in IBD pathogenesis. Prebiotics are molecules in foods that support the growth or activity of beneficial microbes. Inulin, a soluble fiber molecule, is a commonly available prebiotic, and previous studies suggest that it can reduce symptoms in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced colitis in mice. This study aimed to determine whether pretreatment with 1% inulin for 1 week, followed by 7 days of 3% DSS administration with continued inulin treatment, altered the severity of disease in C57Bl/6 mice. Clinical signs of colitis, including weight loss, fecal occult blood, and fecal consistency, were monitored daily during the DSS treatment period. At the end of the experiment, samples were collected for histological scoring, and for RNA isolation and analysis of colonic pro‐inflammatory cytokine expression by quantitative PCR. Unexpectedly, inulin pre‐treated, DSS‐exposed mice were positive for blood in the stool a day sooner than mice given DSS only. However, by the end of DSS treatment, the disease activity index was not different between the two groups. In addition, colon length and colon wet weight were similar in inulin‐treated mice and non‐inulin treated mice. Histological scoring of colitis showed no difference between inulin‐treated and non‐inulin‐treated colitic mice. In conclusion, 7 days of pre‐treatment with inulin followed by induction of acute DSS‐induced colitis did not significantly alter susceptibility to colitis.Support or Funding InformationSupported by the Missouri Western State University PORTAL program