Fig. 5.

L-carnitine (LCAR) therapy is effective in treating trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) colitis. TNBS colitis was induced by intrarectal administration of 100 mg/kg TNBS dissolved in 50% ethanol and mice were treated every 24 h with LCAR (100 or 150 mg/kg), starting 30 min prior to the induction of colitis. (a) Body weight was recorded twice daily and is expressed as a percentage of body weight on day 0. Each data point represents the mean ± standard error of the mean (s.e.m.) of three control mice and six mice with TNBS colitis per group. *P < 0·05 compared with untreated TNBS. (b) The macroscopic score of colon inflammation was determined by the Wallace criteria. (c) Haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of distal colon (original magnification, 400 ×). (d) The histological score of colon damage. (e) mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and (f) IL-6 was determined in whole colon homogenates by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Data are expressed as mean fold-change relative to control ± s.e.m. (g) Serum cytokine levels of IL-1β and (h) IL-6 were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data are expressed as mean ± s.e.m. (n = 3 for control groups, n = 6 for TNBS groups). *P < 0·05.