Mouse models have proven to be a key approach in our understanding of the etiology and physiology underlying bacterial mediated gastrointestinal inflammation. Generally, these models are based on the inoculation of genetically susceptible mice with either commensal or pathogenic bacteria to elicit an inflammatory response. Here, we describe models of acute and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation using interleukin 10-deficient (Il10 (-/-)) mice colonized with the pathogenic Campylobacter jejuni strain 81-176 or the commensal Escherichia coli strain NC 101.