Extraintestinal Helminth Infection Limits Pathology and Proinflammatory Cytokine Expression during DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis: A Role for Alternatively Activated Macrophages and Prostaglandins

Figure 4

The anticolitic effect of T. crassiceps infection is independent of the genetic background of the host. The C57BL/6 mice were infected or not with 40 metacestodes of T. crassiceps and ulcerative colitis was induced. (a) Length of the colon for different groups exposed or not exposed to T. crassiceps infection. (b) Colon tissue histology stained with H&E and showing colonic inflammation in different groups, magnification = 20x for Control, DSS, and T. crassiceps + DSS, 10x for T. crassiceps. Serum levels of (c) TNF-α, (d) IL-10, and (e) IL-4 detected by ELISA on different days after exposure to DSS. Data are means ± SE and are representative of two independent experiments, mice per group. comparing T. crassiceps-infected mice and uninfected mice at the end of the experiment.

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