Differences in MUC2 Gene Expression Based on the Clinical Severity of Colitis and the Degree of Histopathological Damage to the Colonic Mucosa in Colitis-induced Rat

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is characterized by intestinal inflammation and epithelial damage. Impaired mucosal cell barrier function mainly associated with thinning of the mucin layer may be the initial events underlying injury and inflammation in UC. Impaired expression of specific mucins is closely associated with IBD. MUC2 is a gene that produces mucin, which is predominant in the colon in humans and rats. METHODS: This study is an experimental study with a posttest-only design. The sample comprised 16 colitis-induced rats. Induction of colitis was done by giving a solution of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) 2.5% 1 mL/day orally for 7 days. MUC2 gene expression was measured by rtPCR. The clinical severity of colitis was classified based on the disease activity index (DAI) score. The degree of histopathological damage was classified based on the score of colonic histology observations. The statistical analysis was done by the Shapiro–Wilk normality test and continued with an independent samples t-test. RESULTS: There were differences in MUC2 gene expression in mild and moderate colitis (1.81 vs. 2.99) but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). MUC2 gene expression also differed in mild and severe histopathological damage degrees (2.32 vs. 2.1) but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was concluded in this study that MUC2 gene expression did not have significant differences based on the clinical severity of colitis and the degree of histopathological damage to the colonic mucosa in colitis-induced rats.