iNOS-Dependent Increase in Colonic Mucus Thickness in DSS-Colitic Rats

Aim: To investigate colonic mucus thickness in vivo in health and during experimental inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: Colitis was induced with 5% DSS in drinking water for 8 days prior to experiment, when the descending colonic mucosa of anesthetized rats was studied using intravital microscopy. Mucus thickness was measured with micropipettes attached to a micromanipulator. To assess the contributions of NOS and prostaglandins in the regulation of colonic mucus thickness, the non-selective NOS-inhibitor L-NNA (10 mg/kg bolus followed by 3 mg/kg/h), the selective iNOS-inhibitor L-NIL (10 mg/kg bolus followed by 3 mg/kg/h) and the non-selective COX-inhibitor diclofenac (5 mg/kg) were administered intravenously prior to experiment. To further investigate the role of iNOS in the regulation of colonic mucus thickness, iNOS -/- mice were used. Results: Colitic rats had a thicker firmly adherent mucus layer following 8 days of DSS treatment than untreated rats (88 +/- 2 mu m vs 76 +/- 1 mu m). During induction of colitis, the thickness of the colonic mucus layer initially decreased but was from day 3 significantly thicker than in untreated rats. Diclofenac reduced the mucus thickness similarly in colitic and untreated rats (-16 +/- 5 mu m vs -14 +/- 2 mu m). While L-NNA had no effect on colonic mucus thickness in DSS or untreated controls (+3 +/- 2 mm vs +3 +/- 1 mu m), L-NIL reduced the mucus thickness significantly more in colitic rats than in controls (-33 +/- 4 mu m vs -10 +/- 3 mu m). The importance of iNOS in regulating the colonic mucus thickness was confirmed in iNOS-/- mice, which had thinner colonic mucus than wild-type mice (35 +/- 3 mu m vs 50 +/- 2 mu m, respectively). Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed increased levels of iNOS in the colonic surface epithelium following DSS treatment. Conclusion: Both prostaglandins and nitric oxide regulate basal colonic mucus thickness. During onset of colitis, the thickness of the mucus layer is initially reduced followed by an iNOS mediated increase.