FIG 4.

C. difficile-infected TPL2-KO mice produce significantly lower levels of proinflammatory markers in intestines than WT mice. TPL2-KO or TPL2-floxed (Flox) mice were challenged with 10⁶ C. difficile UK1 spores after pretreatment with a mixture of antibiotics. On day 3 postinfection, three mice from each group were euthanized, and colon and cecum tissues were collected. Levels of IL-1β (A), IL-6 (B), TNF-α (C), and MPO (in units per milligram) (D) were determined. Bars stand for means; error bars, standard deviations. Asterisks indicate significant differences (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01) between the Flox and TPL2-KO groups.