Representative DGGE images.

<p>Representative denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis images from six patients, three treated with LR (Treatment Group LR001, LR011, LR014) and three with placebo (Placebo group LR003, LR009, LR059). Each lane in a gradient gel shows bands of 16S rDNA detected in each of five stool specimens collected at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 months. Each band represents a different bacterial 16S rDNA sequence, i.e. a different bacterial taxon. Time 0 stools were collected before patients began consuming LR or placebo. Time 1 and 2 stools were collected after patients had been consuming LR or placebo for one and two months respectively. Time 3 and 6 stools were collected one month and four months after patients had discontinued consuming LR or placebo. For each patient, differences in band patterns across sampling time points indicate changes in the composition of bacteria, over time, in their stools. For example, Patient LR001 exhibited a notable change in stool bacterial composition between Time 0, a stool collected before consuming any LR, and Time 1, a stool collected after consuming LR for one month. Likewise, the placebo treated Patient LR059, exhibited a notable change in stool bacterial composition over the same interval. In contrast LR treated Patient LR011 exhibited no change in band pattern over that interval. We compared the total number of band pattern changes over each interval in the LR treated and placebo treated groups and found no significant difference in the influence of LR treatment compared to placebo treatment on changes in stool bacterial composition over any interval examined.