Figure 11.

L. plantarum accelerates restitution of CEF-induced mucosal damage in mouse colon. Adult female mice were fed liquid diet with 5% EtOH (EF) or isocaloric maltodextrin (PF) for 4 wk, and EF mice received additional gavage of EtOH (g/body weight) once daily during last 3 d. EF mice were then fed EtOH-free diet with (L.p.) or without (Veh) L. plantarum (10⁶ CFU/ml) for 24 h for recovery from EtOH damage (Post EF-Rec). Cryosections of distal colon were stained for TJ and AJ proteins (A). Colonic mucosal permeability in vivo (B) and plasma LPS levels (C) were measured. RNA extracted from liver was subjected to qPCR for IL-1β (D), IL-6 (E), IL-10 (F), and MCP1 (G) genes. Values are means ± sem (n = 6). *P < 0.05, significantly different from corresponding PF values; ^#value different from corresponding EF values; ^Δvalue significantly different from corresponding EF value.