FIGURE 3. Compromised epithelial integrity and bacterial translocation in the colon of NEMO^IEC-KO mice.

a, TUNEL staining (green) on colon cross-sections from 2-week-old NEMO^IEC-KO and wild-type mice. b, Haematoxylin-and-eosin-stained colon cross-sections from 3-week-old NEMO^IEC-KO (KO) and wild-type mice. Note the epithelial disintegration in several crypts. The arrowhead depicts two remaining epithelial cells in a crypt showing nearly complete loss of epithelium. c, Bacterial FISH staining (green) was detected in the lamina propria of NEMO^IEC-KO colon (arrowheads), but was restricted to the lumen in wild-type mice (arrows). d, Bacterial FISH staining (red) co-localizes with cells in two representative NEMO^IEC-KO colon sections (see arrows). e, Focal infiltration of neutrophils and dendritic cells in the lamina propria of young NEMO^IEC-KO mice. f, Double FISH/CD11c staining on colon cross-sections from 36-week-old NEMO^IEC-KO mice shows co-localization of dendritic cells with bacteria around a lymphoid follicle. g, Expression of cryptdins and of defensin-3 in the colons of NEMO^IEC-KO and wild-type mice (4–5 mice per group). Results are shown as mean values relative to ubiquitin (s.e.m.); asterisk, P < 0.05; double asterisk, P < 0.01. All scale bars, 50 m.