Figure 4.
TGF-β1-DCs delayed the progress of murine IBD induced by DSS. Acute colitis was induced by giving 1.5% DSS in acidified drinking water for 9 days. Groups of mice were injected i.p. with TGF-β1-DCs, LacZ-DCs or control-DCs (2×106/mouse/injection) on days 2, 3 and 5. (a) Body weight loss. Each point represents average weight data pooled from five mice±SE. (b) Disease activity index (DAI, combined score of body weight, bleeding and stool consistency). Each point represents average DAI data pooled from five mice. (c) Rectal bleeding was detected on days 7 and 9 by the one-step fecal occult blood test. Each column represents average data scores pooled from five mice. (d) Histological appearance 9 days after DSS induction. Representative colonic sections are stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Magnification: ×40. *P<0.05, **P<0.01; data are representative of three independent experiments (n=5). DAI, disease activity index; DC, dendritic cell; DSS, dextran sodium sulfate; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1.