Establishment of Food Allergy Model in Dextran Sulfate Sodium Induced Colitis Mice

Food allergy (FA) has become a global food safety issue. Evidence suggests that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can increase the incidence of FA, but it is mostly based on epidemiological studies. An animal model is pivotal for unraveling the mechanisms involved. However, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced IBD models may cause substantial animal losses. To better investigate the effect of IBD on FA, this study aimed to establish a murine model to fit both IBD and FA symptoms. Firstly, we compared three DSS-induced colitis models by monitoring survival rate, disease activity index, colon length, and spleen index, and then eliminated the colitis model with a 7-day administration of 4% due to high mortality. Moreover, we evaluated the modeling effects on FA and intestinal histopathology of the two models selected and found the modeling effects were similar in both the colitis model with a 7-day administration of 3% DSS and the colitis model with long-term administration of DSS. However, for animal survival reasons, we recommend the colitis model with long-term administration of DSS.