Fig. 2.
Time course of histological changes in the gastrointestinal tract of Ad Dkk1-treated animals. Adult C57BL/6J mice (12–16 weeks old) received single i.v. tail vein injection of 109 pfu of either Ad Dkk1 or the negative control virus Ad Fc (109 pfu) followed by analysis of organs by hematoxylin/eosin staining at the indicated times. In duodenum and jejunum, Dkk1 induced crypt loss, villus blunting and fusion, and loss of mucosal integrity, followed by mucosal regeneration by day 10. The stomach was relatively unaffected. In cecum and colon, Dkk1 induced crypt loss with profound mucosal degeneration and ulceration by day 7 and regeneration by day 10 evidenced by irregular basophilic crypts at day 10. Stomach (st), duodenum (du), proximal jejunum (je), ileum (il), cecum (ce), and colon (co) are shown.