Fig. 1.

CerS2 knockout increases the clinical course and pathology in AOM/DSS induced colitis. 129S4/SvJae × C57BL/6 mice were treated once with AOM and additionally 2.0% DSS in the drinking water for seven consecutive days every 3 weeks to induce ulcerative colitis. a Time courses of body weight from CerS2^−/− and CerS2^+/+ mice (n = 20 in each group) show a strong loss of body weight after DSS phases. b Severity of colitis was monitored by a representative score (0 = no symptoms, 1 = diarrhea, 2 = bloody faeces, 3 = abort). Asterisks indicate statistically significant differences between groups [repeated-measures (rm) analysis of variance (ANOVA), *p < 0.05. c Bioluminescence imaging of inflammation with an IVIS Lumina Spectrum. After two cycles of DSS treatment, colitis was detected in living animals by i.p injection of 200 mg/kg inflammation probe^® and subsequent detection of bioluminescence in the abdomen of CerS2^+/+ and CerS2^−/− mice. The total luminescent flux (p/s) in the abdominal regions of interest was quantified. Data are mean ± standard deviation (SD) of n = 9; statistical analysis was done by unpaired t test, *p < 0.05. d Representative examples of colons from CerS2^+/+ and CerS2^−/− mice after two cycles of DSS treatment. Colons from CerS2^−/− mice are bloody and shortened in comparison to CerS2^+/+ mice. e Pictures of whole colon and swiss rolls of CerS2^+/+ and CerS2^−/− mice after 12 weeks and three cycles of DSS