Lactobacillus acidophilus attenuates polyethylene glycol-induced susceptibility to Citrobacter rodentium infection via microbiota modulation

Figure 6 Supplementation of Lactobacillus acidophilus could decrease the effect of polyethylene glycol. A: Mice were gavaged with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and treated with phosphate buffered saline or Lactobacillus acidophilus (LAC) for 3 days prior to the infection of Citrobacter rodentium (CR); B: CR load in the feces; C and D: Representative hematoxylin and eosin staining (20 ×) and pathological score of the colon epithelium; E: Principal coordinate analysis of fecal microbiota among pre-PEG, 3-day post PEG and 3-day treatment of LAC; F: Shannon indices of operational taxonomic unit levels of fecal microbiota among pre-PEG, 3-day post PEG and 3-day treatment of LAC. Data are expressed as mean ± SD; statistical significance was determined by a two-sided Student’s t-test. CR: Citrobacter rodentium; PEG: Polyethylene glycol; CFUs: Colony-forming units; LAC: Lactobacillus acidophilus; PCoA: Principal coordinate analysis; OTU: Operational taxonomic unit.