Growth differentiation factor 15 alters intestinal barrier and increases permeability: A new molecular target in inflammatory bowel disease

Figure 4 In vitro assessment of the effects of growth differentiation factor 15 on intestinal barrier tight junctions. A and B: Representative images of an untreated organoid stained with 4’-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) (A) and zonula occludens (ZO)-1 (B); C and D: Representative images of an organoid from the same line, treated with 100 ng/mL of GDF15, stained with DAPI (C) and ZO-1 (D). Scale bar: 100 μm; E: Relative ZO-1 fluorescence values normalized to DAPI. Data are presented as mean ± SD relative to the untreated organoid. Images were obtained using a Leica SP5 confocal microscope with a 20 × objective and analyzed in ImageJ. For each organoid line, ≥ three organoids from three different wells were analyzed. ^bP < 0.001, one-tailed paired t-test. GDF: Growth differentiation factor; ZO-1: Zonula occludens-1; IFNg: Interferon gamma.