Figure 6.

Antibiotic treatment results in greater maintenance of rotavirus (RV)–specific antibody producing–cells in intestine. C57BL6 mice were treated with antibiotics as described in Materials and Methods. However, one group continued antibiotic therapy for only 1 week after inoculation (for 2 weeks total), whereas another group of mice continued antibiotic therapy throughout the duration of the experiment (for 8 weeks total). A and C, Serum RV immunoglobulin G (IgG; A) and serum RV immunoglobulin A (IgA; C) generation weekly until 7 weeks after inoculation, reflective of late systemic and mucosal RV antibody responses. B and D, Serum RV IgG titer (B) and serum RV IgA titer (D) as measured by the sample dilution at which OD₄₅₀ equaled 0.2 over blank, at 7 weeks after inoculation. E, Small intestinal lamina propria (LP) and Peyer's patch (PP) cells were isolated and applied to coated plates at 2 weeks and 7 weeks after inoculation. The concentration of RV-specific, IgA-producing antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) were calculated in each group. *P < .05. Abbreviation: UnTx, untreated.