Figure 7. Normalization of glial activation and cytokine protein expression in spinal cord of GF mice following microbial colonization.
Western blot analysis was performed for GFAP (astrocyte marker) and Cd11b (microglial marker) in the lumbosacral region of the spinal cord in CC, GF, and GFC mice. (A,B), The increased expression of both GFAP (A) and CD11b (B) in GF mice was normalized following colonization. (C–E) ELISA assays were performed to assess the protein levels of cytokines. Microbial colonization similarly normalized the elevated protein levels of the cytokines IL6 (C) and TNFα (D) in the spinal cord. However, no change was observed in the expression of IL10 (E) between GFC and GF mice. CC, n = 5–11; GF, n = 6–10; GFC, n = 4–8.