Fig. 6.

Differential effects of continuous feeding of ABX on STZ-induced diabetic high blood glucose and mechanical allodynia. STZ treatment itself did not induced significant alteration of thermal sensitivity. A–D Pre-depletion of gut microbiota, with continuous feeding of ABX starting two weeks earlier than STZ treatment (A), prevented STZ-induced high blood glucose (B) and mechanical allodynia (C), without affecting the thermal sensitivity (D). E–H The continuous feeding of ABX starting simultaneously with STZ treatment (E) reduced STZ-induced mechanical allodynia (G) without significantly affecting the high blood glucose (F) and the thermal sensitivity (H). I–L The continuous feeding of ABX starting 42 days after STZ treatment (I) when the high blood glucose and mechanical allodynia had been established suppressed the mechanical allodynia (K) without affecting the high blood glucose (J) and the thermal sensitivity (L). Two-way ANOVA with Dunnett multiple comparison test *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, STZ versus citric acid buffer (CAB) control. ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01, STZ + ABX versus STZ alone. Numbers of animals: in B–D, n = 6 in CAB; n = 12 in STZ at day 21 and 28, n = 11 at day 14, n = 13 at other data points; in ABX + STZ, n = 16 (B) and n = 8 (C and D). In F–H, n = 6 in CAB; n = 13 in STZ; in STZ + ABX, n = 7 at day 42, n = 9 at day − 7. In J-L, n = 8 in each of the groups