Melatonin reduces bacterial translocation and apoptosis in trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid-induced colitis of rats

Table 1 Comparison of macroscopic and microscopic colonic damage scores (mean ± SD)

Colonic damage score	Control	Colitis	Colitis + melatonin	P
Macroscopic score	0.40 ± 0.38b	7.1 ± 1.34	2.4 ± 0.67	< 0.01
Microscopic score	0.6 ± 0.79a	4.9 ± 1.23	2.0 ± 0.66	< 0.05

^bP < 0.01 vs colitis and colitis + melatonin groups;

^aP < 0.05 vs colitis and colitis + melatonin groups.

Table 2 Incidence of bacterial translocation in different groups

Distant organ	Control1	Colitis1	Colitis + melatonin1	P
MLNs	0b	8	4d	< 0.01
Liver	0d	7	2d	< 0.01
Spleen	0d	6	2d	< 0.01
Portal blood	0d	6	1d	< 0.01
Systemic blood	0d	3	0d	< 0.01

MLNs: Mesenteric lymph nodes. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare bacterial translocation.

¹Number of positive tests for all animals tested (10 rats each group).

^bP < 0.01 vs colitis and colitis + melatonin groups,

^dP < 0.01 vs colitis group.