The role of ozone/oxygen in clindamycin-associated enterocolitis in the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus sungorus).

Rectal and oral ozone-O2 gas insufflations prevented a fatal clindamycin-induced enterocolitis in Djungarian dwarf hamsters. In spite of no gross lesions in the colon of these species, the term 'colitis' is justified because of intracellular degenerative changes of colon epithelial cells. Dwarf hamsters are omnivores and are, therefore, more relevant to man than other animal species as an animal model for studying colitis.