Fig. 5.

TPN-derived small bowel contents induce inflammatory changes and loss of epithelial barrier function (EBF) in axenic mice. Effluent from TPN-dependent (TPN Eff.) and enterally fed (Fed Eff.) small bowel was gavaged into germ-free mice (GF). A: EBF was examined using two methods, transepithelial resistance of full-thickness jejunal specimens (Ω*cm², left) and permeation of tracer molecule FITC-dextran (4KD, right). B: small bowel mucosal cytokine results are measured with using a multiplex protein assay (Millipore, Billerica, MA). C: representative images of immunofluorescence staining of small bowel tight and adhesion junction proteins was performed and costained with a DAPI nuclear counterstain. TER, transepithelial resistance; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; IFN-γ, interferon-γ; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; IL-12p40, interleukin 12p140; ZO-1, zonula occludens 1. *P < 0.05.