Figure 3. Specific Reduction of Mucus-Producing Goblet Cells in the Geriatric Ileum.
(A) Abundance changes of marker proteins for enterocytes and goblet cells in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum during aging analyzed by quantitative mass spectrometry (Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction).
(B) Abundance levels for Muc2 in crypts from duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of young and geriatric animals (n = 4).
(C) Differential expressions of protein involved in O-glycosylation of mucins (Reactome: R-MMU-913709) showing an age-related decrease of the whole pathway toward the more distal part of the intestine.
(D) Quantification of goblet cells per crypt in sections stained with Alcian blue from duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of young (n = 4) and geriatric animals (n = 3), represented as mean ± SD.
(E) Representative pictures of Alcian blue stained sections from ileum of young and geriatric animals.
(F) Villi length in the ileum of young (n = 4) and geriatric animals (n = 3), represented as mean ± SD. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin.
(G) Representative pictures of ileum sections from young and geriatric mice.