Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapies and Gut Function in a Colitis Mouse Model

Figure 7

Distribution of ZO-1 in C57BL/6 mice intestinal epithelium. Colon sections from infected/treated and noninfected control groups were fluorescent labelled with antibody to the tight junction protein ZO-1 and were imaged using an Axioplan 2 microscope (Zeiss; ×40 magnification) and AxioVision software (Zeiss). In the noninfected controls (a), the ZO-1 was localized to both the apical lateral borders, as well as between the epithelial cells. In the infected controls (b), however, H. trogontum infection disrupted the distribution of the ZO-1 with visible breakage in the ZO-1 strands. H. trogontum also induced the ZO-1 internalization with a decrease in staining intensity at the epithelial cell borders (b). Following 4-week treatment with the EEN (c), MNZ (d), and a combination of EEN and MNZ (e), ZO-1 strands appeared intact and were sharply localized to the cellular margins. The breakage in the ZO-1 strands and its displacement in the cell borders observed in the infected controls were not markedly changed by the HC treatment (f). ZO: zonula occludens; HC: hydrocortisone; EEN: exclusive enteral nutrition; MNZ: metronidazole.