Influence of AhR gene on the development of ulcerative colitis by sodium sulfate of dextran in animal model of acute inflammation

Abstract

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by a chronic process causing lesions of the colon mucosa and is correlated with an increased risk of carcinogenesis. Ulcerative Colitis development involves environmental and genetic factors being known as a multifactorial disease. Genetic studies have indicated an association between the Ahr gene variants (Aryl Hydrocarbon receptor) and UC disease since the AHR protein probability has a major role in disease progression. The most efficient experimental model of UC has been performed by ingestion of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) (Moutsianas et al.) by animals susceptible to inflammation. Mice genetically selected for high (AIRmax) or low (AIRmin) acute inflammatory response (AIR) to the subcutaneous polyacrylamide beads (Biogel) will be used as a suitable model to study the involvement of the AHR on UC evolution. During the selective process for AIR, Ahrd and Ahrb1 alleles were fixed in AIRmax and AIRminmice, respectively, determining a difference in susceptibility to colon carcinogenesis. This genetic polymorphism is associated with the low and high affinity AHR, respectively. Therefore, we will study the direct relationship between the UC intensity to DSS treatment and the AHR polymorphism in mice from Selection AIR. (AU)