Figure 7.

Consumption of high-salt diet (HSD) worsened 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in BALB/c mice. BALB/c mice were fed either control diet or HSD for 3 weeks. TNBS-induced colitis was induced by administration of 2.5 mg TNBS in 35% alcohol by intrarectal injections in mice 7 days before euthanasia. TNBS group (n = 5–15) received control diet for 21 days and TNBS⁺ HSD group (n = 5–15) received HSD throughout the experiment. (A) Weight gain during colitis; (B) survival curve; (C) clinical score; (D) representative histology images of TNBS (left) and TNBS⁺ HSD (right) groups; (E) histological score; (F) frequency of CD4⁺ RORγt⁺ cells in the colonic lamina propria of mice measured by flow cytometry; and (G) frequency of CD4⁺ IL-23R⁺ cells in the colonic lamina propria measured by flow cytometry. For histological score, goblet cell depletion, muscular layer (erosion/ulceration) destruction, cellular infiltration, and edema were considered; each parameter received 0–3 in the score index. Graphs are representative of three independent experiments with five mice per group. Statistical analysis between groups was performed using Student’s t-test. *p < 0.05.