Fig. 2.

Oral microbiota transplantation protects against radiation-associated oral mucositis. All mice in the following experiments were housed in tailor-made cages. 24 mice per group was used. (A) Sampling time points and scheme for oral microbiota transplantation combined with irradiation (THI). (B) Body weights were compared between THI and OMT groups, n = 24 per group; Significant differences are shown relative to the “THI” group using two-way group ANOVA (* P < 0.05; *** P < 0.005). (C) Photograph of mice in the two groups. The arrows point to the radiation-induced alopecia. (D) Photograph of tongue tissues from tailor-control, THI and OMT groups. The red circles point to mucositis. (E) The morphology of the tongue tissue was shown by H&E (first line) and immunohistochemistry staining (CD45 for second line; PCNA for third line), bar = 100 μm for first line, bar = 50 μm for second and third line. The solid diagonal line indicates the ulcer boundary, and dotted lines indicate the basement membrane. (F) The staining intensity of immunohistochemistry staining (CD45 and PCNA). (G-J) The content of IL-1, IL-6, TNFɑ and TGFβ in tongue tissues were examined by ELISA. Mean ± SEM. Significant differences are indicated: * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.005 by Student’s t-test between each two cohort. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)