Figure 1.

Inflammation and tumor growth is increased in mice that overexpress PepT1 in their intestinal epithelial cells. FVB/NJ WT and TG mice were injected intraperitoneally with AOM (10 mg/kg body weight), maintained for 7 days, and then subjected to a 2-cycle DSS treatment (each cycle consisted of 7 days of 2.5% DSS and 14 days of H₂O). (A) Representative colon samples were obtained from each experimental group at the end of the AOM/DSS protocol. (B) Number of tumors per mouse. (C) Tumor size was determined using a dissecting microscope fitted with an ocular micrometer. The tumor size distribution was graphed. (D) Tumor areas for each colon were summed and were presented as the tumor burden index. (E) AOM/DSS-treated WT and TG mice were weighed on day 0, daily during each DSS treatment, and once per week during the 2-week recovery period after each DSS treatment. The graph represents the percentage values of the original day 0 weights. (F) Colon lengths of AOM/DSS-treated WT and TG mice. (G) Representative images of H&E-stained colonic sections from WT or TG mice that received AOM/DSS or water (control). (H) The colonic mRNA levels of Il6, Cxcl-2, Il22, Il10, and Tnf-α were quantified by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and normalized to mRNA levels of the ribosomal protein, 36B4. Values are means ± SEM (n = 5 per group). Scale bar: 100 μm. Arrow, inflammatory cell infiltration. *P < .05, **P < .01, and ***P < .001.