Figure 3. Antibiotic treatment alters immune cell compartments.
Immediately following antibiotic treatment, total numbers of T cells (A), including both CD8+ (B) and CD4+ (C) T cells, are decreased in the spleen. These numbers returned to normal six weeks later (not shown). The proportion of Tregs (Foxp3+/CD4+ T cells) was significantly increased in the mesenteric lymph nodes at Week 2 following antibiotic treatment (D). By Week 8, the proportion of T cells (E) and CD4+ cells (F) were both significantly reduced in the colonic lamina propria. TCE, T cell receptor; *p<0.05, **p<0.01. This is representative of two experiments, n = 5 each group. LP, lamina propria; MLN, mesenteric lymph nodes