Dextran sulfate sodium and uracil induce inflammatory effects and disrupt the chitinous peritrophic matrix in the midgut of Tribolium castaneum

Dextran sulfate sodium is used in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) mice models to trigger chronic intestinal inflammation. In this study, we have analyzed DSS effects in the genetic model and pest beetle, Tribolium castaneum, which can be easily and cost-effectively cultivated and examined in very large quantities compensating for individual variations. We fed the larvae with DSS and uracil, which is known to induce the production of reactive oxygen species by activating DUOX, a member of the NADPH oxidase family. Both chemicals induced IBD-like phenotypes, including impaired growth and development, midgut thickening, epithelial swelling, and a loss of epithelial barrier function. RNAi mediated knockdown of DUOX expression enhanced the effects of DSS and uracil on mortality. Finally, we showed that both treatments result in an altered activity of the intestinal microbiome, similar as observed in IBD patients. Our findings suggest that both chemicals impair the epithelial barrier by increasing the permeability of the peritrophic matrix. The loss of the barrier function may facilitate the entry of midgut bacteria triggering innate immune responses that also affect the intestinal microbiome. As the observed effects resemble those induced by DSS treatment in mice, T. castaneum might be suitable high-throughput invertebrate model for IBD research and preclinical studies.