Fig. 1

Sepsis induces intestinal injury and reduces PLK1 expression in the intestinal epithelium. The mice were sacrificed 24 h after CLP and then analysed. A Microphotographs of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections of intestine. Scale bar indicates 100 μm. B The Chiu’s scores of each group. C The serum concentration of DAO for each group. D The levels of ZO-1 and Occludin were analyzed with Western blot. The graph shows the relative band densities. E Representative images of TUNEL staining. The right graph represented the percentage of positive TUNEL stained cell. Scale bar indicates 50 μm. F The levels of apoptotic markers in intestine 24 h after CLP were measured. The right graph shows the relative band densities. G The relative fluorescence intensity of ROS in the intestine. H The ratio of JC-1 red/green fluorescence intensity which reflecting the MMP level was shown in graph. I Morphological alterations in mitochondria were examined by TEM (scale bar = 0.5 μm). Yellow arrows indicate the relatively normal mitochondrial shape in the sham group. Red arrows denote deformed mitochondria with the loss of clearly defined cristae. J Representative Western blots showing mitochondrial fusion (Mfn1, Mfn2, OPA1) and fission (Drp1 and Fis1) markers on the left, and the graph on the right shows the relative band densities. K Representative PLK1 immunohistochemical staining in the intestine (scale bar = 20 μm). The graph shows the relative fluorescence intensity. L Representative Western blots presents the expression of PLK1 in intestine and the graph on the right shows the relative band densities. The data in the graphs are expressed as the mean ± SD. ***P < 0.001 versus the control group (n = 6)