Figure 4

C. rodentium infection elicits colonocyte apoptosis to a greater degree in GC-C ^−/− mice than in GC-C ^+/+ . A: Immunofluorescent detection of the apoptotic marker cleaved caspase 3 (CC3) in representative sections of distal colon. Elevated numbers of positively stained epithelial cells are visible in sections from mice at days 4 and 10 following infection compared to naïve mice, with the highest staining seen in GC-C^−/− gut at day 10 p.i. Scale bars = 200 μm. B: A significant increase in the mean number of CC3-positive intestinal epithelial cells (CC3+ IEC) per high power field (HPF) was found in day 10 p.i. distal colon of GC-C^−/− compared to GC-C^+/+ mice. Data is presented as the mean with SE. (*P ≤ 0.0001; Student t test; #P ≤ 0.0001 naïve vs. day 10 p.i.; naïve and day 4 mice n = 4 per group; day 10 mice n = 12 per group; D4, day 4 p.i.; D10, day 10 p.i.).