Figure 1.

Pre-exposure to S. japonicum eggs alleviated the colon inflammation in the TNBS-induced experimental colitis. Female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: Control, TNBS, and TNBS+Egg. TNBS (0.5mg per mouse in 50% ethanol) was used by rectal instillation to induce colitis. Mice of the TNBS+Egg group were pre-exposed to S. japonicum eggs as a preventive intervention. (A) Dynamics of body weight variation at different time points. *P < 0.01, the TNBS group versus the TNBS+Egg group. All samples including B to F were collected on the 5th day after the TNBS modeling. (B) Spleen index. (C) Representative images of colons and (D) the statistical graphs of colon length. (E) Representative images of colon histopathology and (F) the statistical graphs of the colonic histological score. Data are expressed as means ± SEMs based on 6 mice in each group and from 2 independent experiments. Asterisks mark significant differences among different groups (**P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001).