Prophylactic systemic P2X7 receptor blockade attenuates the severity of mucosal damage, lowers macrophage and T-cells infiltration, and prevents the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and IL-1β (with no changes detected in anti-inflammatory TGF-β and IL-10) secondary to experimental colitis in rats (Marques et al., 2014). This evidence concerns the gene TNF and colitis.