Figure 4
Mice were immunized either with aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant alone, with P28GST (25 μg kg−1) in the presence, or in the absence of adjuvant (with P28GST re-suspended in physiological serum). 2, 4, 6-Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis was induced in all the groups, except negative control, which received ethanol solution. Colons were removed after the killing of mice at day 37 and paraffin embedded. Paraffin-wax-embedded sections of the colon were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. (a) Clinical and (b) histological scores of the colons from mice with acute TNBS colitis. (c) Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to quantify myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the colon of P28GST-, adjuvant, or 5-amino-salicylic acid (5-ASA)-injected mice. MPO levels expressed as ng per mg of total protein are lower in the P28GST –treated animals. (d) Interleukin (IL)-1β and (e) tumor necrosis factor (TNF) mRNA expression was assessed by quantitative PCR in the colons from the six groups of mice. Results are expressed as means±s.e.m.; n=30 mice per group. *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001.
