Dynamic alterations in the gut microbiota and metabolome during the development of methionine-choline-deficient diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Figure 2 Methionine-choline-deficient diet induced liver fibrosis after 4 wk of feeding. A-B: Representative liver histology assessed by Masson’s trichrome staining (A) and α-SMA staining (B). Scale bar: 250 μm. C: Percent of Masson’s trichrome-stained area as indicated by the fibrosis index (%). D: Representative staining intensities of α-SMA as designated by the mean optical density. The data are given as the means ± SEM. n = 6 per group. ^aP < 0.05 and ^bP < 0.01 vs Control 2w group, ^dP < 0.05 and ^eP < 0.01 vs MCD 2w group, ^hP < 0.05 and ⁱP < 0.01 vs Control 4w group by post hoc ANOVA one-way statistical analysis. MCD: Methionine-choline-deficient.