Evaluation of an Animal Model for the Screening of Compounds Potentially Useful in Human Ulcerative Colitis: Effect of Salicylazosulfapyridine and Prednisolone on Carrageenan - Induced Ulceration of the Large Intestine of the Guinea Pig

Abstract

Irritation of the cecum of guinea pigs was induced by providing them with drinking water containing 5% degraded carrageenan for a period of 14 days. The current study was conducted to test the procedure as a useful model for the evaluation of compounds potentially useful in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The criterion used was improvement in the carrageenan induced adverse symptomatology following treatment with either salicylazosulfapyridine or prednisolone. Both of these latter compounds are somewhat effective in relieving the symptomatology of ulcerative colitis in humans. On the basis of the following: (1) fecal occult blood; (2) occult blood in the cecum upon autopsy; and (3) weight loss; neither compound showed effectiveness. The finding that two drugs known to be effective in human ulcerative colitis failed to protect against a carrageenan induced irritation of the large intestine of the guinea pig indicates that this model may not be useful as a screening procedure.