Fig. 8: In vivo validation of NCC-GP alleviating depression via the gut-brain axis.

A Expression levels of BCL2 and AMPK in each group of cells were detected using Western blot; B–E Depressive-like behaviors of mice in each group were assessed through TST, SPT, FST, and MWM experiments; F display of H&E staining results of hippocampal tissues in each group of mice, Scale bar = 250 μm / 25 μm; G Neuronal cell count in the hippocampal tissues of each group of mice was evaluated through Nissl staining, Scale bar = 250 / 25 μm; H Apoptosis of neuronal cells in the hippocampal tissues of each group of mice was examined using TUNEL staining, Scale bar = 250 / 25 μm; I Monitoring of weight changes in each group of mice with analyzed using two-way ANOVA; J Presentation of H&E staining results of colonic tissues in each group of mice, Scale bar = 100 μm; K Content of E-cadherin in colonic tissues of each group of mice was detected through Western blot; L Display of in vivo barrier integrity experiment results; M–P Assessment of depressive-like behaviors in each group of mice through TST, SPT, FST, and MWM experiments; Q H&E staining results of hippocampal tissues in each group of mice, Scale bar = 250/25 μm; R Neuronal cell count in the hippocampal tissues of each group of mice was evaluated via Nissl staining, Scale bar = 250 / 25 μm; S Evaluation of neuronal cell apoptosis in the hippocampal tissues of each group of mice using TUNEL staining, Scale bar = 250 / 25 μm. Comparisons between two groups were analyzed using t-tests, while one-way ANOVA was used for comparisons among different groups. The line between groups represents the specific p-value, with p < 0.05 indicating a statistically significant difference between groups, with 6 mice per group.