Colonic insufflation with carbon monoxide gas inhibits the development of intestinal inflammation in rats.

Background: The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex, and an effective therapeutic strategy has yet to be established. Recently, carbon monoxide (CO) has been reported to be capable of reducing inflammation by multiple mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated the role of colonic CO insufflation in acute colitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in rats.

Methods: Acute colitis was induced with TNBS in male Wistar rats. Following TNBS administration, the animals were treated daily with 200 ppm of intrarectal CO gas. The distal colon was removed to evaluate various parameters of inflammation, including thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive substances, tissue-associated myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and the expression of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-1 in colonic mucosa 7 days after TNBS administration.

Results: The administration of TNBS induced ulceration with surrounding edematous swelling in the colon. In rats treated with CO gas, the colonic ulcer area was smaller than that of air-treated rats 7 days after TNBS administration. The wet colon weight was significantly increased in the TNBS-induced colitis group, which was markedly abrogated by colonic insufflation with CO gas. The increase of MPO activity, TBA-reactive substances, and CINC-1 expression in colonic mucosa were also significantly inhibited by colonic insufflation with CO gas.

Conclusions: Colonic insufflation with CO gas significantly ameliorated TNBS-induced colitis in rats. Clinical application of CO gas to improve colonic inflammatory conditions such as IBD might be useful.