Figure 3.

The hypercontractile smooth muscle response to PAR₂ agonists in small intestine is immune-mediated. Segments of jejuna were taken from the mice and suspended longitudinally in organ baths for in vitro contractility studies in response to PAR₂ activating peptide SLIGRL (100µM). The N.braslinesis infection-induced increase in smooth muscle responses to SLIGRL was not observed in STAT6^−/− mice, but was retained in IL-4^−/− mice. *p<0.05 vs respective control; (n≥5 for each group).