A Synbiotic with Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitory Activity Ameliorates Experimental Jejunoileal Mucosal Injury

Figure 4

Histologic analysis with effects of GWT on MTX-induced jejunoileal injury. Jejunoileal specimens of rats from the 3 groups were stained by HE (a) and PAS (b) (magnification, ×100). The rats in the MTX group were fed standard chow (CE-2) and injected with MTX four times. The rats in the MTX/GWT group were fed 5% GWT-supplemented chow and similarly injected with MTX, while the rats in the control group were fed standard chow and injected with saline. Rats were sacrificed on days 3, 4, 5, and 6 after the first MTX injection. (a) Compared to the control group (top row), MTX treatment (middle row) led to extensive structural damage including villus shortening, atrophy, desquamation of surface epithelium, cystic dilatation in crypt, and crypt loss. Such changes were improved in the MTX/GWT group (bottom row). (b) PAS staining reveals that a majority of goblet cells in the MTX-treated group specimens (middle row) were lost from the crypts, while a significant number of goblet cells were preserved in the MTX/GWT group specimens (bottom row).

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