PRODUCTION, PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A RABBIT RECOMBINANT IL-1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST

An in vivo colonic perfusion system in rats was used to examine the mechanism responsible for diarrhea in colitis induced experimentally by dextran sulfate. These rats had the same gross pathological and histopathological features as those in human ulcerative colitis. The rats also had severe hemorrhagic diarrhea and poor nutrition. The water and ion absorption as well as reduced osmolar pressure which were observed throughout the colon of colitis-rats were associated with a significant increase in colonic VIP content. These changes returned to control levels when a specific antagonist of VIP was administered. In control rats, the administration of VIP caused similar water and ion movement which was similar to that seen in colitis-rats