Figure 4: Fibre mediates its beneficial effects on DSS colitis by activating the NLRP3 but not NLRP6 inflammasome.

Clinical scores measured in WT (a,e), in Nlrp3^−/− mice (a) (n=6 mice per group except Nlrp3^−/− HF n=5, experiment done twice) and in Nlrp6^−/− (n=6 mice per group) (e) mice fed on zero-fibre (ZF) or on high-fibre (HF) diets and treated for 6 days with 2% DSS. (b,f) Colon length, (d,h) histological score and representative haematoxylin and eosin-stained colonic sections of WT, Nlrp3^−/− mice (b–d) and in Nlrp6^−/− (f–h) fed in ZF or HF before DSS treatment; scale bars, 200 μm. The results are shown as mean±s.e.m.. With ***P<0.001 and ****P<0.0001 as determined by analysis of variance as group effect, ^$$$P<0.001 and ^$$$$P<0.0001 comparing Nlrp3^−/− ZF versus HF and ^###P<0.001 and ^####P<0.0001 comparing Nlrp3^−/− HF versus WT HF by Bonferroni’s multiple comparison analysis (a), ^###P<0.001 and ^####P<0.0001 comparing Nlrp6^−/− HF versus ZF determined by Tukey’s multiple comparison analysis (e), and with P=0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 and ****P<0.0001 as determined by t-test. NS, not significant.