Figure 6. A 23-days chronic DSS colitis insult at young age results in loss of tyrosine hydroxylase- and Nissl-positive cells in the substantia nigra of (Thy1)-h[A30P]αSyn transgenic mice at 21 months of age.

(Thy1)-h[A30P]αSyn transgenic mice were exposed to a 23-days chronic increasing dose DSS paradigm at the age of 3 months followed by aging on normal drinking water up to the age to 21 months. These mice showed a significant loss of mean count of Nissl-positive cells with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity and cellular Nissl staining in the substantia nigra compared to age-matched littermate mice in the group that did not experience DSS colitis (water). A Representative images of two levels of the substantia nigra in one mouse per group. B Stereological quantification of cells positive for TH or Nissl (n=7-8 mice per group). Statistical analyses of the TH dataset were performed using Student’s t-test, while Welch’s t-test was used for the Nissl dataset to adjust for unequal variances. Scale bar: 500 μm.