Ameliorative effects of bombesin and neurotensin on trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid-induced colitis, oxidative damage and apoptosis in rats

Table 1 Colon macroscopic scoring system

Score	Criteria
0	No damage
1	Hyperemia
2	Hyperemia and thickening without ulceration
3	Ulceration at a single site
4	Two or more sites of ulceration or inflammation
5	Ulceration or inflammation extending > 1 cm along the length of colon
6-10	Damage covering > 2 cm along the lenght of colon, with the score being increased by 1 for each additional centimeter of involvement

Table 2 Histopathologic grading scale of TNBS-E-induced colitis

Grade of colitis	Microscopic findings
0	No damage
I	Mild mocosal and/or submucosal inflammatory infiltrate and edema: punctuate mucosal erosions often associated with capillary proliferation, muscularis mucosa intact
II	Grade I changes involving 50% of the specimen
III	Prominent inflammatory infiltrate and edema frequently with deeper areas of ulceration extending through the muscularis mucosa into the submucosa, rare inflammatory cells invading the muscularis propria but without muscle necrosis
IV	Grade III changes involving 50% of the specimen
V	Extensive ulceration with coagulative necrosis bordered inferiorly by numerous neutrophils and fewer mononuclear cells, necrosis extends deeply into the muscularis propria
VI	Grade V changes involving 50% of the specimen

Table 3 Comparison of macroscopic and microscopic colonic damage scores

Colonic damage score		Group I Control	Group II Colitis	Group III BBS	Group IV NTS	Group V BBS and NTS	P
Macroscopic score	mean ± SD	0.3 ± 0.48	7.3 ± 0.94	2.1 ± 0.87	3.7 ± 0.94	2.1 ± 0.87	< 0.01
	Median (Min-Max)	0 (0.0-1.0)b	7 (6.0-9.0)d	2 (1.0-3.0)b	4 (2.0-5.0)f	2 (1.0-3.0)b
Microscopic score	mean ± SD	0.4 ± 0.69	5.2 ± 0.78	2.0 ± 0.66	3.3 ± 0.82	1.8 ± 0.63	< 0.01
	Median (Min-Max)	0 (0.0-2.0)b	5 (4.0-6.0)d	2 (1.0-3.0)b	3.5 (2.0-4.0)f	2 (1.0-3.0)b

Data are expressed as means ± SD and median (min-max).

^bP < 0.01 vs colitis and NTS;

^dP < 0.01 vs BBS, NTS and BBS and NTS;

^fP < 0.01 vs colitis, control, BBS and BBS and NTS. BBS: Bombesin; NTS: Neurotensin.