Background and aims: The role of sensory neurones in colitis was studied by chemical denervation of primary sensory neurones as well as antagonism of the vanilloid receptor-1 (VR-1) in rats prior to administration of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) to induce colitis.

Methods: Neonatal rats were chemically denervated by subcutaneous administration of capsaicin; controls received capsaicin vehicle only. When animals reached maturity, colitis was induced by administration of 5% DSS in drinking water for seven days. Additionally, normal adult rats were treated with a VR-1 antagonist capsazepine (CPZ) or vehicle twice daily via an enema from day 0 to day 6 of the DSS regimen. Control rats were treated with an enema infusion of vehicle and 5% DSS, or without either an enema infusion or DSS in drinking water. For both groups of rats, severity of inflammation was quantitated by disease activity index (DAI), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and histological examination.

Results: DSS induced active colitis in all control rats with resultant epithelial ulceration, crypt shortening, and neutrophil infiltration. Both neonatal capsaicinised rats and normal adult rats treated with CPZ enemas exhibited significantly lower levels of DAI, MPO, and histological damage compared with vehicle treated rats (p< 0.05).

Conclusions: Neonatal capsaicinisation and local administration of CPZ prevents intestinal inflammation in a well established model of colitis indicating that primary sensory neurones possessing VR-1 receptors are required in the propagation of colonic inflammation.