(a) Image showing the appearance of the colon in a mouse that was administered dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) (i) and pioglitazone (ii). Loss and shortening of crypts, mucosal erosions, inflammatory cell infiltration, and goblet cell depletion are seen in (i). In (ii), smaller erosions are associated with less inflammatory cell infiltration. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, Effects of pioglitazone on mRNA expression of TNF- (b) and on DNA-binding activity of NF-B (c) in colonic tissues of mice that were administered DSS. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) of sham-operated colon (lane 1), DSS-induced inflamed tissue (lane 2), colon treated with 3 mg/kg pioglitazone (lane 3), and sham-operated colon treated with pioglitazone (lane 4). TNF- mRNA and NF-B DNA-binding activity were upregulated in inflamed colonic tissue (lane 2); this upregulation was suppressed by pioglitazone administration (lane 3).
