Fig. 1. Effect of EGCG on weight gain in mice subjected to TNBS-induced colitis. Each data point represents the mean ± S.E.M. of 4-6 animals for each group. Represents P < 0.05 versus sham mice (control); # represents P < 0.05 versus vehicle-treated mice subjected to colitis (TNBS + vehicle).

Fig. 2. Effect of EGCG on damage score in mice subjected to TNBS-induced colitis. Colon damage was scored from 0 (no damage) to 8 (maximum damage). The ends of the boxes represent 25th percentile and 75th percentile with a line at the median and error bars defining 10th and 90th percentile (n = 6 animals for each group). Represents versus vehicle-treated mice subjected to colitis (TNBS + vehicle).

Fig. 3. Effect of EGCG on morphological colon changes after TNBS administration. At day 1 (A) and 3 (B) after TNBS administration submucosal edema and large hemorrhagic ulcerations were observed; at day 7 (C) the colon mucosa appeared hyperemic in vehicle-treated mice. Colonic mucosa appeared hyperemic only or healed in EGCG-treated mice (D, day 1; E, day 3; F, day 7). A similar pattern was seen in 4 different mice in each experimental group.

Fig. 4. Effect of EGCG on time course of changes in colonic architecture after TNBS administration. Representative colonic sections from vehicle-treated (A) or EGCG-treated (E) control mice showed normal architecture at day 0. At day 1 (B) and 3 (C) after TNBS administration a marked disruption of the epithelium was associated with marked infiltration of inflammatory cells. At day 7 (D) a healing process started in the epithelium. Colonic damage was reduced in mice treated with EGCG (F, day 1; G, day 3; H, day 7). Magnification x400. A similar pattern was seen in 3-4 different tissue sections in each experimental group.

Fig. 5. Effect of EGCG on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in mice subjected to TNBS-induced colitis. MPO, an enzyme present in neutrophils, was measured as an index of neutrophil infiltration into the injured tissue. Each data point represents the mean ± S.E.M. of 6 mice for each group. Represents P < 0.05 versus control mice at day 0; # represents P < 0.05 versus vehicle-treated mice subjected to colitis (TNBS + vehicle).

Fig. 6. Effect of EGCG on plasma levels of TNFα (A), IL-6 (B), IL-10 (C), and KC (D), in mice subjected to TNBS-induced colitis. Each data point represents the mean ± S.E.M. of 6 mice for each group. Represents P < 0.05 versus control mice at day 0.

Fig. 7. Effect of EGCG on time-course of NF-κB and AP-1 DNA binding in the colon. Representative autoradiographs of electrophoretic mobility shift assay for NF-κB (top) and AP-1 (bottom) DNA binding in nuclear extracts. Results are representative of 4 separate time-course experiments.