Claudin-7 gene knockout causes destruction of intestinal structure and animal death in mice

Figure 3 Phenotypic and intestinal pathological changes in Cldn7 CKO mice. A: Genotype analysis showed that No. 6 mouse was a Cldn7 CKO mouse with the genotype Null/Null CreW. Marker: 8000/5000/3000/2000/1000/750/500/250/100 bp; B: Cldn7 CKO mice were similar to control mice at birth but grew slower than control mice (P < 0.05); from the third day, CKO mice appeared in a dying state; C: CKO mice expressed no Cldn7 in any tissues, while all tissues of control mice expressed Cldn7; D: Intestinal HE staining in Cldn7 CKO mice showed obvious atrophy of intestinal mucosa with inflammatory cell infiltration (as indicated by the arrow), villus shortening, and lymphatic expansion (as indicated by the arrowhead); the control mice showed no obvious histopathological changes (as indicated by the arrow). Cldn7: Claudin-7; CKO: Conventional knockout.