FIG. 1.

Exposure to prolonged restraint significantly changed the levels of bacteria that could be cultured from the distal small intestine, cecum, and large intestine. The data are the means + standard errors, with panel A showing levels of total (i.e., both Gram-positive and Gram-negative) aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria and panel B showing Gram-negative aerobes and facultative anaerobes. n = 3 preexperiment animals; n = 9 per group at days 1, 3, 5, and 7. *, P < 0.05 versus FWD levels on the same culture day. In this experiment, nonstressed home cage controls were used to set preexperiment values.