Fig. 2

Rapamycin effectively ameliorates fibrosis and suppresses induction of IL-23/IL-22 expression. a Schematic diagram showing the treatment regimen of TNBS administered weekly and rapamycin given daily on weekdays to wild-type mice; b, c Representative images of colon harvested on week 6 post-TNBS and/or after rapamycin treatment, and the average length of the left colon (n = 5–7 mice each group); d Histological analysis of colon fibrosis show representative images of myofibroblast staining with anti-αSMA antibody and collagen staining with Trichrome blue; e Quantification of the thickness of the submucosal αSMA-positive layer and average intensity of Trichrome blue staining; f FACS analysis of αSMA-positive cells in the colon and quantification of αSMA-positive cells; g qPCR analysis of fibrosis markers and cytokines; h Western blot analysis of p-p70 and p-S6 levels in purified Cx3cr1⁺ mononuclear phagocytes from mice treated with TNBS and/or rapamycin; i quantification of p-p70 (open bar) and p-S6 (closed bar) levels; j qPCR analysis of the expression of IL-23 and IL-1β in purified Cx3cr1⁺ mononuclear phagocytes; Data are presented as mean ± SEM. n = 5. ^∗p < 0.05, ^∗∗p < 0.01, ^∗∗∗p < 0.001