Monitoring Biomolecular Changes During Colitis Progression Using Infrared Spectroscopy in Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Treated Mouse Serum.

Analysis of sequential alterations in body fluid constituents, such as serum, is vital for assessing inflammation. Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to monitor biomolecular changes in a Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS) mouse colitis model. Serum samples collected on days 0, 3, and 7 post- (3% DSS) administration showed stepwise changes in lipid, protein, and carbohydrate regions. Statistically significant (SS) changes (p < 0.05) were detected at the initial stage of colitis (day 0 to 3) in six spectral biomarkers (SBMs), including the integral ratio of α-helix to β-sheet (Amide I) and the β-sheet (Amide I) to Tyrosine (Amide II). Changes intensified from day 3 to 7, with the most prominent differences from day 0 to 7, even when the initial changes (day 0 to 3) were not SS. These results highlight the potential of ATR-FTIR as a minimally invasive pre-screening tool for monitoring colitis progression.