Contrarily to MLA, α7 nAChRs full agonist AR-R17779 was as effective as sulfasalazine in improving mice clinical conditions, in decreasing colonic macroscopic damage and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels and in preventing local neutrophil infiltration, demonstrating the remarkable protection afforded by exogenous stimulation of this receptor subtype against TNBS-induced colitis. Here, CHRNA7 is linked to colitis.