Tumor necrosis factor-α mediates JNK activation response to intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Figure 3 Suppression of tumor necrosis factor-α attenuated ischemia-reperfusion-induced intestinal mucosal apoptosis. A: Sham-operation (SO) pretreated with vehicle; B: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) pretreated with vehicle; C: I/R pretreated with a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor pentoxifylline (PTX); D: I/R pretreated with a TNF-α antibody infliximab (IFX); E: The apoptotic index was calculated by counting a minimum of 20 randomly selected villi and crypts in the sections following terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The index was obtained by dividing the TUNEL positive cells by the total number of cells. Values are mean ± SE. Six rats were tested in each group. ^aP < 0.05 vs SO rats pretreated with vehicle (SO + vehicle); ^cP < 0.05 vs I/R rats pretreated with vehicle (I/R + vehicle). Apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL immunofluorescence staining. Mid-jejunum sections of rats were stained by TUNEL (green), with nuclei counterstained by 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (blue). Magnifications: × 100. Six rats were studied in each group, and a similar pattern was seen in six different rats in each group.