FB2025_05 , released December 11, 2025
Human Disease Model Report: ulcerative colitis-like, chemically induced
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General Information
Name
ulcerative colitis-like, chemically induced
FlyBase ID
FBhh0001204
Disease Ontology Term
Parent Disease
OMIM
Overview

This report describes a model for inducing an ulcerative colitis-like phenotype in flies by administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or other agents. DSS is a branched glucan that is frequently used to model ulcerative colitis (chronic, relapsing-remitting inflammation of the colon) in rodents, and this model has been extended to Drosophila. Other inducing agents include sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the chemotherapeutic drug bleomycin, and the neurotoxic herbicide paraquat.

See also the FlyBase chemical reports for dextran sulfate sodium (FBch0001059), bleomycin (FBch0000749), dextran sulfate (FBch0000388), sodium dodecyl sulfate (FBch0001075), paraquat (FBch0000495).

[updated Mar. 2024 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]

Disease Summary Information
Disease Summary: ulcerative colitis-like, chemically induced
OMIM report
Human gene(s) implicated
Symptoms and phenotype

Oral administration of the sulfated polysaccharide DSS to mice via drinking water induces severe colitis characterized by weight loss, bloody diarrhea, ulcer formation, loss of epithelial cells and infiltrations with neutrophils, resembling some features of flares in human UC. (From Wirtz et al. 2017, pubmed:28569761.)

(FlyBase Curators, 2013-)

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by a chronic relapsing intestinal inflammation. IBD is subdivided into Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis phenotypes. Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis have a combined prevalence of 200 to 300 per 100,000 in the United States. Crohn disease may involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but most frequently the terminal ileum and colon. Bowel inflammation is transmural and discontinuous; it may contain granulomas or be associated with intestinal or perianal fistulas. In contrast, in ulcerative colitis, the inflammation is continuous and limited to rectal and colonic mucosal layers; fistulas and granulomas are not observed. In approximately 10% of cases confined to the rectum and colon, definitive classification of Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis cannot be made and are designated 'indeterminate colitis.' Both diseases include extraintestinal inflammation of the skin, eyes, or joints. (From MIM:266600, 2020.02.25]

(FlyBase Curators, 2013-)
Genetics
Cellular phenotype and pathology

Perhaps the most widely used mouse model of colitis employs dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), a chemical colitogen with anticoagulant properties, to induce disease. DSS is a water-soluble, negatively charged sulfated polysaccharide with a highly variable molecular weight ranging from 5 to 1400 kDa. The most severe murine colitis, which most closely resembles human ulcerative colitis, results from administration of 40-50kDa DSS in drinking water. The mechanism by which DSS induces intestinal inflammation is unclear but is likely the result of damage to the epithelial monolayer lining the large intestine allowing the dissemination of proinflammatory intestinal contents (e.g. bacteria and their products) into underlying tissue. The DSS colitis model is very popular in IBD research due to its rapidity, simplicity, reproducibility and controllability. Acute, chronic and relapsing models of intestinal inflammation can be achieved by modifying the concentration of DSS and the frequency of administration. (From Chassaing et al. 2014, pubmed:24510619.)

(FlyBase Curators, 2013-)
Molecular information
External links
Disease synonyms
IBD
inflammatory bowel disease, chemically induced
Ortholog Information
Human gene(s) in FlyBase
    Other mammalian ortholog(s) used
      D. melanogaster Gene Information (0)
      Other Genes Used: Viral, Bacterial, Synthetic (0)
        Summary of Physical Interactions (0 groups)
        Alleles Reported to Model Human Disease (Disease Ontology) (0 alleles)
        Alleles Representing Disease-Implicated Variants
        Genetic Tools, Stocks and Reagents
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        Contact lab of origin for a reagent not available from a public stock center.
        Bloomington Stock Center Disease Page
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        Selected Drosophila classical alleles
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        References (45)