Figure 1.

Pretreatment with STEA protects against colitis. Colitis was induced by intracolonic administration of TNBS (100 mg/kg). Rats were treated intraperitoneally with 3 mg/kg STEA once a day for 3 days starting 2 days before TNBS treatment (day 0). Control rats received 40% ethanol or PB alone. Clinical evolution was monitored by survival (A) and body weight changes (B). Colitis score (C) and macroscopic damage score (D) were determined at 6 days after TNBS administration. Colonic length (E) was measured from the ileocecal junction to the anal verge. (F) Representative histologic findings in rats with TNBS-induced colitis pretreated with STEA. Sections of the distal colon were collected at necropsy and stained with H&E (original magnification, ×100). Data are expressed as means ± SD, n = 14 rats/group in (A) and (B), n = 5 rats/group in (C) to (E). *p < 0.05 vs TNBS-treated rats; ^p < 0.05 vs control rats.