Mouse Experiment 17-2009

Six to eight week old, female C57BL6J mice were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory and allowed to acclimatize in our facilities for 2 weeks prior to start of study. After the acclimatization period, mice were randomized into two treatment groups IL22Fc treated and control. Eight animals per group. Four animals per cage. Animals were treated with 50 ug per mouse of either IL-22Fc or anti-ragweed isotype control via intraperitoneal injection three times a week, and euthanized on day 14. Immediately prior to euthanization, mice were allowed to defecate directly into sterile microcentrifuge tubes. Collected fecal pellets were snap frozen on dry ice until able to be stored at minus 80C. Following euthanization, the terminal ileum and terminal third of colon, was collected from each animal. The luminal contents of ileal and colonic samples were removed by gentle squeezing with the forceps, and the tissue was preserved in RNAlater at 4C overnight, and then stored at minus80C.