FIG 1.

Dietary supplementation of alginate (ALG) alleviates DSS-induced colitis. (A) Experimental scheme of ALG supplementation in a mouse model of DSS-induced acute colitis. (B and C) While DSS (3%) was provided in drinking water for a week to induce colitis, body weight (B) and the disease activity index (DAI) score (C) were recorded daily in the final week of DSS treatment for three groups of mice (n = 8). The colon was collected from each mouse at the end of the experiment. (D to G) Representative images of the colon (D), the colon length (E), H&E staining (magnification of ×50), and TEM of the colon (F) and colonic histology score (G) are shown. (H and I) The mRNA (H) and protein (I) expression levels of three inflammatory cytokines in the colon were also measured. (J) Phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p65 NF-κB in the colon. (K) The mRNA gene expression levels of two BA receptors in the colon. (L) Expression of FXR at the protein level. Data are presented as means ± SEM. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001; #, P < 0.05; compared with the DSS plus ALG group.