Figure 6. Supplementation of the indigenous microbiota with probiotics prevents the increase in gut permeability induced by sex steroid depletion.

(A) Measurement of gut permeability in conventional ovx and sham-operated mice. At 4 weeks after surgery, FITC-dextran was administered orally to each experimental subject. Serum FITC-dextran levels were measured 4 hours later. Mice were supplemented twice a week with 1 × 10⁹ CFU total of either VSL#3, LGG, LGG-M, E. coli, or vehicle. (B) Endotoxin levels in the serum of mice from experimental groups described in A. (C–F) qPCR analysis measuring transcript levels of the tight junction proteins claudin 2, claudin 3, claudin 15, and Jam3 in the SI of mice from experimental groups described in A. n = 10 mice per group in all panels randomly selected from a total of 10–14 mice per group. Data are expressed as mean ±SEM. All data were normally distributed according to the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and post hoc tests applying the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, and ****P < 0.0001 compared with sham vehicle. ^##P < 0.01, ^###P < 0.001, and ^####P < 0.0001 compared with ovx vehicle.