Fig. 6

Butyrate administration alleviates systemic APEC infection and reverses the immune cell changes in chickens. A Butyrate was administered in the chickens’ drinking water starting with the first APEC infection and continued for 3 d after the second APEC infection. B–F Body weight changes (B), the presence of pathobionts in the cecal contents (C), the mean log₁₀ CFU/mL of APEC in the spleen (D), and changes in the percentage and absolute number of splenic macrophages (E) and lamina propria γδ T cells (F) were evaluated. T.T, APEC double infection without florfenicol treatment. T.F.T, APEC double infection with florfenicol treatment. T.F.T + B APEC double infection with florfenicol and butyrate treatment. Statistical differences were determined in a Tukey test; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001