Table 1.
Real-time PCR primers used in this study.
Fig 1.
DSS-related clinical and gross alteration in WT, TLR4, and TLR2 GF-mice with or without BF colonization.
(A) Body weight, (B) body weight changes, (C) spleen weight, (D) spleen/body weight, (E) colon length, (F) occult index. *P < 0.05 compared to WT/GF/DSS.
Fig 2.
DSS-induced hematological characteristics in WT, TLR4, and TLR2 mice under GF- and BF-condition.
(A) Leukocytes, (B) neutrophils, (C) lymphocytes, (D) monocytes, (E) erythrocytes, (F) hemoglobin level, (G) hematocrit value, (H) platelet. *P < 0.05 compared to WT/GF/DSS.
Fig 3.
Histopathology revealed the effect of BF monocolonization on DSS-induced colon damage in WT, TLR4, and TLR2 mice at day 7.
(A) WT/GF/DSS, (B) WT/BF/DSS, (C) TLR4/GF/DSS, (D) TLR4/BF/DSS, (E) TLR2/GF/DSS, and (F) TLR2/BF/DSS. H&E, magnification ×200, bar = 20 μm.
Fig 4.
Histologic scores, F4/80 and Ly6G+ immunohistochemistry staining in DSS-treated WT, TLR4, and TLR2-mice under GF- or BF-condition.
(A) Histological scores, (B) F4/80-positive cells, (C) Ly6G+-positive cells. *P < 0.05 compared to TLR2/BF/DSS.
Fig 5.
Immunohistochemistry staining for F4/80 (macrophages) in colon tissue sections.
(A) WT/GF/DSS, (B) WT/BF/DSS, (C) TLR4/GF/DSS, (D) TLR4/BF/DSS, (E) TLR2/GF/DSS, and (F) TLR2/BF/DSS. Magnification ×200, bar = 20 μm.
Fig 6.
Immunohistochemistry (Ly-6G, granulocytes) evaluation of DSS-induced colitis in different knockout mice with or without BF monocolonization.
(A) WT/GF/DSS, (B) WT/BF/DSS, (C) TLR4/GF/DSS, (D) TLR4/BF/DSS, (E) TLR2/GF/DSS, and (F) TLR2/BF/DSS. Magnification ×400, bar = 40 μm.
Fig 7.
Expression profile of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory-related genes in colonic tissue of each group.
(A) TNF-α, (B) IL-6 and (C) IL-10. *P < 0.05 compared to TLR2/BF/DSS; #p < 0.05 compared to WT/GF/DSS.
Table 2.
No significant differences in clinical observation, complete blood count, histology and immunohistochemical staining between 10/GF/DSS and 10/BF/DSS groups.
Fig 8.
Histopathology and immunohistochemistry staining for IL10-/- knockout mice with or without BF-treated DSS.
(A) 10/GF/DSS, H&E (B) 10/BF/DSS, H&E (C) 10/GF/DSS, F4/80, (D) 10/BF/DSS, F4/80, (E) 10/GF/DSS, Ly-6G+, and (F) 10/BF/DSS, Ly-6G+, (G) levels of TNF-α in colonic tissue, (H) levels of IL-6 in colonic tissue. n.s.: statistically non-significant difference. Magnification ×400, bar = 40 μm.