The aim of this study was to investigate if a rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening protocol (< 5 min/mouse) could characterize colonic inflammation in a chronic experimental colitis model. No respiratory triggering or spasmolytic agent was used during MRI-acquisition. Biomarkers assessed in vivo were colon wall thickness and T2w signal intensity (reflecting oedema) and ex vivo inflammatory score, colon weight, and plasma haptoglobin. The inflammation was characterised by significantly higher local and systemic inflammatory markers in the colitic mice compared to healthy mice. MRI-colon wall thickness and T2w signal intensity correlated well with inflammatory score (r = 0.95 and 0.94), colon weight (r = 0.92 and 0.93) and plasma haptoglobin (r = 0.89 and 0.95). Thus, the data showed that in vivo MRI screening could be used to assess colon wall inflammation, suggesting that high-throughput MRI can be used to follow the potential efficacy of new IBD therapies in individual animal in longitudinal studies. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.