Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the term for a group of chronic conditions affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract encompassing ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). The etiology of IBD is still unclear and presumed to result from a complex interaction among genetic factors and develop an abnormal immune response following an environmental insult affecting the intestinal mucosa (Abimosleh et al, 2012). UC is believed to be a Type 2 T-helper cell (Th2) immune response, leading to increased pro-inflammatory cytokines production including Interleukin-5 (IL-5). UC is restricted to the colon, beginning in the rectum and spreads proximally, dependent upon disease severity (Papadakis and Targan, 2000). IBD is characterised by inflammation, …show more content…

Consequently, chronic UC patients have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). There are no truly effective treatments for UC at the present. Accordingly, the risk of developing CRC remains high. Thus, the development of novel treatment approaches for this disorder is required to attenuate the inflammatory response, prevent mucosal damage and facilitate mucosal healing (Abimosleh et al, 2012). Emu oil (EO) is derived from the subcutaneous and retroperitoneal of adipose tissue of the emu. It has been widely used as an Aboriginal medicine in Australia and white settlers for wound healing, to provide pain relief and for the treatment of arthritis (Whitehouse et al, 1998; Abimosleh et al, 2012). Recently, it was found that EO rich in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may have potent anti-inflammatory properties . EO is composed of predominantly fatty acids (FA), with a lipid content of 98.8% for the subcutaneous adipose tissue and 98.0% for the retroperitoneal adipose tissue. In the FA compositions, there is approximately 42% of oleic …show more content…

To create a chronic inflammatory state, DSS, an agent with direct toxic effects on the colonic epithelium will be administered in drinking water to mice in multiple cycles. With sufficient duration, some of these mice will develop tumors. Tumor development is hastened in this model if administered in a pro-carcinogenic setting. These include mice pre-treated with genotoxic agent (azoxymethane [AOM]). The combination of DSS with AOM as a model for colitis associated cancer has gained popularity for its reproducibility, potency, low price, and ease of use. Mice injected with AOM and subsequently treated with DSS develop adequate tumors in as little as 7-10 weeks (Thaker et al, 2012). Hence, we use both AOM and DSS in our study. Then, EO will be orally-administered into the mouse model to test the production of mucin from the goblet cells in proximal colon and compared to the disease control. The production of mucin is crucial in protecting the intestinal barrier function from

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