Combined probiotic bacteria promotes intestinal epithelial barrier function in interleukin-10-gene-deficient mice

Figure 5 Bifico rescued expression of tight junction-associated proteins in following Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli infection. A: mRNA levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludentes (ZO)-1 were significantly decreased in Caco-2 monolayers after treatment with Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) in comparison to control untreated cells; B: mRNA levels of tight junction proteins claudin-1 were significantly decreased in Caco-2 monolayers; C: mRNA levels of tight junction proteins occludin were significantly decreased in Caco-2 monolayers. This decrease was reversed by pretreatment with Bifico or single strain probiotics; D: Representative experiment showing western blot (WB) analysis of ZO-1, claudin-1 and occludin expression; E: Expression of ZO-1 was quantified by densitometry for three independent experiments; F: Expression of cllaudin-1 was quantified by densitometry for three independent experiments; G: Expression of occludin was quantified by densitometry for three independent experiments; H: Bifico or single-strain probiotics increased the EIEC-treated TER of Caco-2 monolayers (means ± SEM, n = 3 per group in WB, n = 5 per group in qRT-PCR, n = 5 per time point per group in TER. ^aP < 0.05 compared with control group, ^cP < 0.05 compared with EIEC group, ^eP < 0.05 compared with BFLE group, Student’s t test). B. longum (B), E. faecalis (F), L. acidophilus (L), triple bacteria (BFL), control group (C), EIEC group (E). Preincubated with probiotics or/and commensal bacteria prior to EIEC infection created four groups (BE, FE, LE and BFLE).