Kefir treatment ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in rats

Table 1 Scoring of disease activity index

Score	Weight loss (%)	Stool consistency	Occult/gross bleeding
0	None	Normal	Negative
1	1-5
2	5-10	Loose stool
3	10-20
4	> 20	Diarrhea	Gross bleeding

Disease activity index = (combined score of weight loss, stool consistency, and bleeding)/3.

Table 2 Microscopic colitis score

Mucosal epithelium
	Ulceration; none (0); mild surface (1); moderate (2); extensive-full thickness (3)
Crypts
	Mitotic activity; lower third (0); mild mid-third (1); moderate mid-third (2); upper third (3)
	Neutrophilic infiltrate
	Mucus depletion
Lamina propria
	Plasmacytoid infiltrate
	Neutrophilic infiltrate
	Vascularity
Fibrin deposition
	None (0); mucosal (1); submucosal (2); transmural (3)
Submucosal
	Neutrophilic infiltrate
	Edema

Scoring scale: 0, none; 1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, severe; maximum score = 30.

Table 3 Colon length and weights according to groups

Groups	Colon weight (g)	Colon length (cm)
Normal control	1.48 ± 0.02	17.38 ± 0.17
Kefir-control	1.51 ± 0.02	17.44 ± 0.18a
Colitis	1.58 ± 0.04	16.70 ± 0.21
Kefir-colitis	1.65 ± 0.09	16.83 ± 0.16

Data is presented as mean ± SD. Analysis of variance indicated a difference among the groups with respect to colon length only (P < 0.05);

^aP < 0.05 vs colitis via Tukey’s post-hoc test.