Figure 9. Propionibacterium freudenreichii ΔslpB induces expression of IL-17 and of inducible NOS (iNOS) in healthy mice .

mRNA relative expression of genes (A) muc2, (B) cld1, (C) zo1, (D) ocln, (E) iNOS, and (F) Il17 in mice treated with culture media YEL (control), probiotic strain P. freudenreichii WT and mutant strain P. freudenreichii ΔslpB or without treatment (water) following 5-FU or saline administration. Expression levels was monitored by RT-PCR. The means and standard deviations are calculated from 6 animals per group from 3 independent replicates and each quantification was done in triplicate (technical triplicates). Asterisks represent statistically significant differences between strains and were indicated as follows: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001.