Fig. 5

Alterations in GI function after antibiotic (Abx) treatment are restored by spontaneous microbial recolonization. a Male mice received Abx for 14 days and were allowed 21 days on regular drinking water for spontaneous microbiota reconstitution (Abx withdrawal). b Body weight change over the course of the experiment (two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test). c–e Intestinal anatomical parameters; c cecal weight, d small intestinal length, and e colon length. f Fecal pellet wet weight and g wet:dry ratio of the feces measured after a 1-h novel environment stress. h Ion transport evaluated in ileal preparations mounted in Ussing chambers after stimulation with veratridine (10 μM) or carbachol (100 μM). i Whole gut transit time. j Small intestinal transit distance (as a % of total intestinal length) measured 15 min after gavage with dye. k Distal colonic motility measured by bead expulsion time. l Intestinal permeability assessed by fluorescein-5-6-sulfonic acid (FSA) concentration in the serum 4 h after gavage with FSA; results are shown normalized to control as 2 different experimental datasets were combined. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. b n = 5; c–g n = 7–10; h n = 3–5; i–l n = 7–10. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001; one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test