TNF and colitis: The results of the Liu et al. study25 showed that administration of B. vulgatus Bv46 reduces the expression of interleukins 1β, 6 and TNF-α in the colon in dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in vivo and diminishes the secretion of interleukins- 1β, 6 and TNF-α in macrophages stimulated by LPS in vitro.