Figure 5. Rapid systemic infection with C. jejuni in Muc1^–/– mice is not due to a hematopoietic deficiency in Muc1.

Concentrations of C. jejuni in gastrointestinal and systemic tissues of macrophage-depleted (A), neutrophil-depleted (B), and control Muc1^–/– and Muc1^+/+ 129/SvJ mice 2 days after oral inoculation with 10⁴ C. jejuni strain 81116. Neutrophil depletion was confirmed by flow cytometry on peripheral blood (not shown). Mean ± SD of CFUs/g tissue. Colonization frequency is shown at the base of each histogram. ANOVA, Tukey’s post-hoc test; *P < 0.05, Muc1^–/– versus Muc1^+/+; **P < 0.01, Muc1^–/– versus Muc1^+/+; ^##P < 0.01, phagocyte-depleted versus control; ***P < 0.001, Muc1^–/– versus Muc1^+/+. Mφ, macrophage; Neut, neutrophil. (C) Concentrations of C. jejuni in gastrointestinal and systemic tissues from KO and Muc1^+/+ (WT) mice infected 6 months after lethal irradiation and transplantation of bone marrow from Muc1^–/– (KO) and Muc1^+/+ (WT) mice and in nontransplanted (–) control mice of the same age. Mean ± SD CFUs/g tissue 2 days after oral inoculation with 10⁴ C. jejuni. Colonization frequency is shown at the base of each histogram. ANOVA, Tukey’s post-hoc test; *P < 0.05, Muc1^–/– versus Muc1^+/+.