Fig. 2

IPA and IAA ameliorate DSS-induced colitis. A Experimental scheme of the mouse trial (n = 5). Six-week-old C57BL/6 mice were administered with a cocktail of antibiotics for 2 weeks, followed by oral administration of 40 mg/kg IPA and/or IAA daily with or without 3% DSS in drinking water for another 7 days. The severity of colitis was assessed by determining the changes in body weight (B) and colon length (C). D Serum FITC-dextran levels among different groups of mice (n = 4). E Goblet cell changes in the colon of mice. The left panel shows the goblet cells per crypt of the colon, and the right panel shows representative images of alcian blue staining for goblet cells within the inner mucus layer of colonic sections. F Levels of IL-6 and IL-1β in the colonic tissue using ELISA (n = 4). G The levels of occludin and E-cadherin proteins determined by Western blotting (n = 3). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001; ns, not significant