CD4 and colitis: For the DSS-colitis-protective C57BL/6 J-mtNOD/LtJ mice, the histological evaluation of the colon demonstrated that the lower inflammatory score in the C57BL/6 J-mtNOD/LtJ mice with colitis compared with wild-type mice with colitis, and thus, evaluation of cellular metabolism in intestinal immune cells, including intestinal dendritic cells and CD4+ T cells, in these mouse strains carrying differential mtDNA variants at steady state and under stress is warranted.