Establishment of Rat Model with Constipation-predominant Bowel Dysfunction by Intragastric Perfusion of Ice Water

Background: Stress is one of the major factors involved in the development of bowel dysfunction.It is important to construct an ideal animal model for studying the etiological factors and pathogenic mechanisms of bowel dysfunction.Aims: To construct a rat model with constipation-predominant bowel dysfunction by intragastric perfusion of ice water.Methods: Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into six groups,four groups were perfused intragastrically with ice water (group A1,A2) or room temperature water (group B1,B2) for 14 days,and two groups without any intervention were served as controls (group C1,C2).The 24-hour fecal granules number and stool weight in group A1,B1 and C1 were measured daily in the course of 14-day intragastric perfusion and the following 14 days.Small bowel propulsion test was performed in group A2,B2 and C2 on the 15th day,and in group A1,B1 and C1 on the 29th day,respectively.Results: The 24-hour fecal granules number and stool weight,as well as the small bowel ink propulsion rate at the end of the 2nd week were significantly decreased in rats perfused with ice water when compared with rats perfused with room temperature water and the controls (P0.05).These changes were sustained till the end of the 4th week,and no significant differences were found between these two time points.Conclusions: Rat model with constipation-predominant bowel dysfunction induced by intragastric perfusion of ice water can mimic the disease seen in human beings with reproducibility and stability. It may provide a favorable model for the study of bowel dysfunction.