- Biological Role: Dextran Sulfate Sodium is immunomodulatory, antiviral, and pro-inflammatory depending on concentration and context.
- Mechanism of Action:
- In scientific models, Dextran Sulfate Sodium disrupts the mucosal barrier in the colon, allowing luminal antigens to stimulate immune responses.
- It induces epithelial damage and inflammatory cytokine release, making it a powerful tool for simulating colitis and studying mucosal immunity.
- It also interacts with positively charged proteins and cell surfaces due to its anionic sulfate groups, affecting cell signaling pathways.
Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)
| CAS No: | 9011-18-1 |
| EINECS No: | 232-556-7 |
| Synonyms: | DSS, sodium dextran sulfate, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) salt, polysulfated dextran sodium |
Product Summary
Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS) is a sulfated polysaccharide derivative of dextran, composed primarily of glucose units sulfated at multiple positions. It is water-soluble, biocompatible and carries a high negative charge due to its sulfate groups.
Biochemical Function & Mechanism of Action
Applications in Scientific Research
- Widely used in animal models to induce ulcerative colitis, mimicking the human condition for drug screening and immunological studies.
- Helps dissect mechanisms of intestinal inflammation, barrier dysfunction, and cytokine response.
- Its polyanionic nature inhibits viral attachment and has been studied in HIV, HSV, and oncology models.
- Can be used to coat nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery or gene therapy due to its binding properties.
- Selective precipitation of lipoproteins, probe hybridization with membrane-immobilized DNA, releasing DNA from DNA-histone complexes, and inhibition of RNA binding to ribosomes.
- Utilized in charge-based separation techniques and electrophoresis.
Packaging & Storage
- White to light yellow hygroscopic powder
- Stored in a well-closed container at room temperature
References
- Wirtz S, Neurath MF. 2007: Mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease, Adv Drug Deliv Rev 59:1073-83.
- Chassaing B, et al. 2014: Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)–induced colitis in mice, Curr Protoc Immunol 104:Unit 15.25.
- Eichele DD, Kharbanda KK. 2017: Dextran sodium sulfate colitis murine model: An indispensable tool for advancing our understanding of inflammatory bowel diseases pathogenesis, World J Gastroenterol 23(33):6016-29.
- Perše M, Cerar A. 2012: Dextran sodium sulphate colitis mouse model: traps and tricks, J Biomed Biotechnol 2012:718617.
- Funakoshi Nozaki E, et al. 1996: Interaction between polyanions and cell nuclei: mechanism of gelatination of nuclei, Biochem Biophys Res Commun 228(3):846-51.
- Xue X, et al. 2013: Endothelial PAS domain protein 1 activates the inflammatory response in the intestinal epithelium to promote colitis in mice, Gastroenterology 145(4):831-41.
- Hoffmann M, et al. 2018: A refined and translationally relevant model of chronic DSS colitis in BALB/c mice, Lab Anim 52(3).
- Viennois E, et al. 2013: Dextran sodium sulfate inhibits the activities of both polymerase and reverse transcriptase: lithium chloride purification, a rapid and efficient technique to purify RNA, BMC Res Notes 6:360.
- Burstein M, et al. 1989: Rapid method for the isolation of two purified subfractions of high-density lipoproteins by differential dextran sulfate–MgCl₂ precipitation, Biochimie 71(6):741-6.
- Ramasundaram S, et al. 2023: Dextran sulfate nanocarriers: design, strategies and biomedical applications, Int J Mol Sci 24(1):355.
- Mo J, et al. 2022: Mulberry anthocyanins ameliorate DSS-induced ulcerative colitis by improving intestinal barrier function and modulating gut microbiota, Antioxidants 11:1674.
- Zhang P, et al. 2012: Novel nanostructured lipid-dextran sulfate hybrid carriers overcome tumor multidrug resistance of mitoxantrone hydrochloride, Nanomedicine 8(2):185-93.