Usefulness of physiological assessment on membrane barrier function in intestinal mucosal disease

Abstract

Barrier function of intestinal mucosa in the rat colitis models was assessed by electrophysiological parameters and membrane permeability of FITC-dextran 4000. In the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis and acetic acid-induced colitis, potential difference, short circuit current and resistance tended to decrease with the increase in damage score, but the correlation was not so excellent that morphological assessment did not always reflect the changes in the mucosal function. Increase in the permeability was observed in these colitis models. In the dextran sulfate sodium-induced model, morphological change was found but significant difference in parameters was not. In acetic acid-induced model, the recovery of inflammatory sympton was observed with the recovery of parameters and permeability to the control values. These results suggest that the above assesment of membrane inflammation is more accurate and objective than macroscopic visible criteria which have been commonly used.