Spleen lymphocytes counts (10⁶ cells/mice).

<p>WNC: Well-nourished control, MNC: malnourished control.</p>a,b<p>Mean values within a line with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (p<0.05).</p

BM lymphocytes and B cell counts (10⁶cells/femur).

<p>BCD: balanced conventional diet, BCD+Lr: BCD with supplemental <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i>, BCD+FGM: BCD with supplemental fermented goat milk, WNC: well-nourished control, MNC: malnourished control.</p><p>The percentage of lymphocytes obtained from the FSC vs SSC analysis and B220+ cells obtained from B220 histograms were expressed in absolute numbers.</p>a,b,c,d<p>Mean values within a column with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (p<0.05).</p

A. Spleens photography obtained from well-nourished (WNC) and malnourished (MNC) mice.

<p>B. Total spleen cell number from WNC and MNC mice. The weight of the spleens of WNC and MNC was 178±5 mg and 84±6 mg respectively.</p

BM cell counts (10⁶ cell/femur).

<p>BCD: balanced conventional diet, BCD+Lr: BCD with supplemental <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i>, BCD+FGM: BCD with supplemental fermented goat milk, WNC: well-nourished control mice, MNC: malnourished control mice.</p><p>Mean SD (n = 6 mice/group) are shown.</p>a,b,c<p>Mean values within a line with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (p<0.05).</p

BM cells from malnourished mice replete for 7 days with a balanced conventional diet (BCD) with supplemental <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i> (BCD+Lr) or fermented goat milk (BCD+FGM) were stained with fluorochrome labeled anti-mouse CD3 and anti-mouse CD4 antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry.

<p>Well-nourished control (WNC) and malnourished control (MNC) mice were used as controls. A. Number of CD3⁺CD4⁺ cells. B. Number of CD3⁺CD4⁻ cells is reported. ^a,bMean values within a column with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (p<0.05). C. Representative plots of CD3 vs CD4 expression, gated on lymphocytes, are depicted. Results are representative of two independent experiments, n = 6 samples per group.</p

Histological examination of BM architecture from mice well-nourished control (WNC) mice, malnourished control (MNC) mice, and malnourished mice replete for 7 days with a balanced conventional diet (BCD) with supplemental <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i> (BCD+Lr) or fermented goat milk (BCD+FGM).

<p>The femur was removed; the BM fixed in paraformaldehyde, decalcified in formic acid and sodium citrate, and stained with (A) Hematoxylin and eosin, (B) Alcian Blue or (C) Periodic Acid Schiff. Light micrographs, original magnification ×400.</p

Spleen cells from well-nourished control (WNC) (black bars) and malnourished control (MNC) (grey bars) mice were cultured with medium, LPS or CpG.

<p>Total concentration of IgM (A) or IgG (B) in culture supernatants was determined by ELISA. ^a,b Means in a bar with different letters (a>b) were significantly different (p<0.01).</p

BM cells from malnourished mice replete for 7 days with a balanced conventional diet (BCD) with supplemental <i>Lactobacillus rhamnosus</i> (BCD+Lr) or fermented goat milk (BCD+FGM) were stained with fluorochrome labeled anti-mouse B220 and anti-mouse IgM antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry.

<p>Well-nourished control (WNC) and malnourished control (MNC) mice were used as controls. A. Number of B220^intIgM⁻ cells. B. Number of B220^intIgM⁺ cells. C. Number of B220^highIgM⁺ cells is reported. ^a,b,cMean values within a column with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (p<0.05). D. Representative plots of B220 vs IgM expression, gated on lymphocytes, are depicted. Results are representative of two independent experiments, n = 6 samples per group.</p