Figure 4.

Microbiota depletion of obese infected mice reduces lung IFN-γ-producing CD4⁺ cells and IFN-γ levels. (a) Experimental protocol for microbiota depletion and fecal transplantation. Mice fed with HFD were treated or not with an antibiotic cocktail (Ab) for 21 days, infected with M. tuberculosis and transplanted (FT) or not with feces (30 mg per animal) from obese non-infected mice (5 doses, 3-day interval for 15 days). (b) Colony-forming unit (CFU) number, (c) frequency of lung CD4⁺IFN-γ⁺IL-17⁻ cells and (d) IFN-γ levels in lung homogenates (n = 8–10). (e) Representative lung sections stained with H&E (magnification 200×) (# perivascular infiltration, > peribronchial infiltration, * foamy macrophages) and (f) percentage of inflammation score (1 = mild; 2 = moderate; 3 = severe). Data are representative of two independent experiments and are expressed as means ± SD. Bars show the significant difference between groups (p < 0.05).