(a) H&E-stained sections of ileum from mice 16 h after injection with NS, injection with 40 mg/kg LPS, sham operation, or CLP. Note abundant epithelial sloughing in animals injected with LPS or subjected to CLP. Data are representative of at least 9 animals in each group. (b) Transepithelial passage of FITC-dextran and bacteria during peritonitis. Mice were gavaged with FITC-dextran and E. coli 35354T prior to indicated treatments. Serum concentrations of FITC-dextran (top) and counts of viable E. coli in combined mesenteric lymph nodes and spleens (bottom) were determined 16 h post treatment. *, Significant differences (p ≤ 0.01, n ≥ 12 in each group). (c) Localization of JAM-A (red) in ileal epithelium 16 h after indicated treatments. Note increased re-distribution of JAM-A from borders to intracellular space of enterocytes in LPS and CLP samples. (d) Localization of ZO-1 (red) in ileal epithelium 16 h after indicated treatments. Note increased redistribution of ZO-1 from TJ to intracellular space of enterocytes in LPS and CLP samples. DAPI-stained nuclei appear in blue. Bar=50 μm. All images are representative of at least 3 animals in each group.