TLR5 and metabolic syndrome: It has been reported that lacking of TLR4 and TLR5 in intestinal epithelium can promote the occurrence of metabolic syndrome by affecting gut microbiota.12,13,21 Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is believed to be associated with the severity of AP.19 In this study, the indistinguishable demonstration of AP between WT and TLR4ΔIEC mice after antibiotic intervention enabled us to hypothesize that deletion of intestinal TLR4 may exacerbate AP by affecting gut microbiota.