Fig. 3
SCFAs and pioglitazone shape gut dysbiosis and improve intestinal epithelial barrier impairment in high-fructose diet-fed C57BL/6N mice. a PCoA based on the relative abundance of bacterial OTU, b Chao1 diversity indexes of bacterial community, and c relative abundance of bacterial phyla in fecal samples (n = 7). d Colon histopathology (bars, 50 μm). e Endotoxin levels in serum (n = 8). f Representative transmission electron micrographs of colonic epithelial cells (bars, 1 μm). Arrows indicate gap junctions between two neighbored cells. Asterisks indicate the mitochondria in epithelial cells. g Immunoblot analysis for protein levels of Muc2, occludin, and ZO-1 in colon tissue (n = 6). Quantification: band intensity normalized to β-actin. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 indicate significant difference. C control group, F2 12-week fructose-fed group, S SCFAs-treated group, P pioglitazone-treated group