Fig. 1

Clinical EAN course under early preventive oral capsaicin treatment. EAN was induced in Lewis rats by immunization on day 0 (second arrow) with P2 peptide 53–78 plus CFA. Rats received capsaicin diluted in rapeseed oil at doses of 5, 50, and 500 μg/d once daily from day − 10 (first arrow) to day 23 (third arrow) p.i. (n = 31; pooled data from two independent experiments, (a, b) or doses of 50 and 500 μg/d to day 16 p.i. (n = 45; pooled data from three independent experiments, (c, d) by oral gavage. Control rats received always rapeseed oil only. Mean values of disease score ± SEM; area under curve (AUC) ± SD are depicted; two-way ANOVA multiple comparison test; ANOVA Kruskal–Wallis test