Bacterial counts are reported as colony-forming units per gram. Mice were sacrificed 2 weeks post-Cr infection. Lymphocyte suspensions

were prepared from the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and spleen as described previously (Shi et al., 2000; Chen et al., 2005). Cells (5 × 106 cells mL−1) were cultured on 48-well plates in the presence or absence of Cr antigen (50 μg mL−1) or plate-bound anti-CD3 MAb (10 μg mL−1). Culture supernatants were collected after 72 h and stored at −20 °C until assayed for cytokine production. ELISA capture antibodies [R4-6A2, interferon gamma (IFN-γ); JESS-2A5, IL-10] and biotinylated secondary antibodies (XMG1.2, IFN-γ; SXC-1, IL-10) were purchased from PharMingen (San Diego, CA), whereas TNF-α ELISA capture C59 wnt antibodies (MP6-XT22) and biotinylated secondary antibodies (C1150-14) were purchased from BD Pharmingen, San Jose, CA. The biotinylated secondary antibodies were used as a second layer, and reactions were visualized with mTOR inhibitor O-phenylenediamine at 492 nm (OPD; Zymed Labs, South San Francisco,

CA). Standard curves were obtained using recombinant murine IFN-γ (Genzyme, Cambridge, MA), IL-10 (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN), and TNF-α (BD Pharmingen). Optical density values were converted to pg mL−1 for each cytokine by linear regression with Delta Soft II (Biometallics, Princeton, NJ). At necropsy, colonic tissues were isolated and small fragments were then frozen in Tissue-Tek® O.C.T. Compound (Miles Inc. Elkhart, IN) and stored at −80 °C. Some colonic fragments were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and

then stored at −80 °C for detection of colonic cytokine gene expression. Seven-micrometer sections were cut on a 2800 Frigocut cryostat (Reichert-Jung, Germany) and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Sections were analyzed without prior knowledge of treatment. Colonic pathology was scored using a modified histology scoring system based on previously published methods (Chen et al., 2005). The scoring ASK1 system consists of two parts. Part 1 is the determination of the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colon, with scores ranging from 0 to 4 (0, normal cell pattern; 1, scattered inflammatory cells in the lamina propria; 2, increased numbers of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria; 3, confluence of inflammatory cells extending into the submucosa; and 4, transmural extension of the infiltrative inflammatory cells). Part 2 is the evaluation of colon tissue damage, with scores that also range from 0 to 4 (0, normal tissue pattern; 1, minimal inflammation and colonic crypt hyperplasia; 2, mild colonic crypt hyperplasia with or without focal invasion of epithelium; 3, obvious colonic crypt hyperplasia, invasion of epithelium, and goblet cell depletion; and 4, extensive mucosal damage and extension through deeper structures of the bowel wall). The total colon pathology score equals the inflammatory cell score plus the tissue damage score (Fig. 3g).