Figure 2.

Cnb1^CD4 mice develop spontaneous colitis. (A) Body weight was measured in Cnb1^CD4 and Cnb1^fl/fl mice for 35 weeks and expressed as the weight variation relative to the weight of Cnb1^fl/fl control mice. (B) Representative macroscopic observations of the colons of Cnb1^CD4 and Cnb1^fl/fl mice aged 7, 12, and 30 weeks. (C) Representative histopathologic analysis of the colons stained with hematoxylin and eosin taken from Cnb1^CD4 mice aged 7, 12, and 30 weeks. Colons are shown at ×4 magnification together with the number of infiltrating leukocytes (far right). (D,E) Flow-cytometric analyses showing the proportions of (D) CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells and (E) CD44^highCD62L^neg cells among CD4⁺ T cells in the colonic-LP of Cnb1^CD4 and Cnb1^fl/fl mice. Data represent the means ± standard error of four independent experiments (n = 4–5 mice per group, per experiment). **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.005 (two-tailed, unpaired Student’s t-test). (F) Proportion of CD44^high CD4⁺ T cells expressing CD69 alone or in combination with CD103 or CD199⁺ CD4⁺ T cells from the colonic-LP of Cnb1^fl/fl and Cnb1^CD4 mice aged 6–8 weeks. Data represent the means ± standard error of two independent experiments (n = 2–3 mice per group, per experiment) ***P < 0.005 (ANOVA followed by Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test). Abbreviation: LP, lamina propria.