Antibiotic treatment-induced dysbiosis differently affects BDNF and TrkB expression in the brain and in the gut of juvenile mice
Fig 1
Expression of BDNF in juvenile mouse small intestine after antibiotic treatment-induced dysbiosis.
(A, C) RT-PCR quantification of BDNF transcripts in preparations of the mouse mucosa (A) and mucosa-deprived whole wall (C) of the mouse small intestine obtained from control (CTR, empty bars) and ABX-treated (ABX, black bars). Values are mean±S.E.M. of 9 experiments of the percentage variation of relative gene expression with respect to values obtained in CTR animals. The relative gene expression was determined by comparing 2-ΔΔCt values normalized to β-actin. (B, D) BDNF protein expression analyzed in the mucosa (B) and mucosa-deprived whole wall (D) of the mouse small intestine obtained from CTR (empty bars) and ABX-treated animals (black bars). Blots representative of immunoreactive bands for BDNF and β-actin in the different experimental conditions are reported on top of each panel. Samples (200 μg) were electrophoresed in SDS-8% polyacrylamide gels. Numbers at the margins of the blots indicate relative molecular weights of the respective protein in kDa. Values are expressed as mean±S.E.M. of 5 experiments of the ratio x1000 of the optical density (O.D.) of BDNF vs β-actin in CTR and in ABX-treated preparations. *P<0.05 and ***P<0.001 vs CTR animals by unpaired Student’s t test.