Fig. 6: Pre-treatment with DMC-4 (CM) protected mice from CDI.

a DMC-4 (CM) treated mice were protected from significant weight loss following CD027 infection compared to CD-infected mice (two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s test, DMEM n = 3, CD027 n = 4, DMC-4 (CM) n = 4 and DMC-4 (CM) + CD027 n = 4, *p < 0.05). b DMC-4 CM + CD mice were protected from ceca shortening compared to CD-infected mice (one-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s correction, DMEM n = 3, CD027 n = 4, DMC-4 (CM) n = 4 and DMC-4 (CM) + CD027 n = 4, *p < 0.05). c Representative images of the gross morphology of the ceca and colons from all groups of mice taken at the same magnification (×20) demonstrated that uninfected mice and those exposed to DMC-4 (CM) prior to CD infection had large ceca filled with feces and fecal pellets in the colon, while CD infected mice had reduced cecum size and morphological evidence of colitis. d Stool from mice infected with CD027 resulted in significantly higher toxin-mediated cell rounding compared to DMC-4 CM + CD027 (Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn’s test, **p < 0.01). Pooled supernatants from stool pellets, control animals n = 3 and infected animals n = 5. e TcdA and TcdB quantifications in DMC-4 (CM) treated mice after CD027 infection demonstrated that CD + DMC-4 CM mice had significantly lower levels of TcdA and TcdB at both 24 h and 48 h post-infection (Mann–Whitney test was used to analyze the data (*p < 0.05). All groups were carried out in triplicate). Error bars represent standard error of the mean.