FIG. 4.
Fate of neurons in the hippocampus and lumbar spinal cord of 4-week-old mice infected intracerebrally with 103 PFU of dsNSV-GFP, dsNSV-BCL-2, or dsNSV-BAX compared to uninfected animals. Immunostaining for viral antigen shows equivalent involvement of hippocampal (A and C) and lumbar spinal cord (B and D) neurons 3 days postinfection. (E) More nonpyknotic hippocampal neurons (mean and SEM percentage) were counted in dsNSV-BCL-2- or dsNSV-BAX-infected animals 2 and 4 days postinfection than in dsNSV-GFP-infected animals. Values for both dsNSV-BCL-2 and dsNSV-BAX were significantly greater than values for dsNSV-GFP at both time points (asterisks) (P < 0.05). (F and G) Conversely, the number of lumbar motor neuron cell bodies 4 days postinfection (F) and the density of axons in lumbar ventral nerve roots 21 days postinfection (G) were not statistically different among animals infected with any of the three viruses. Error bars in panels C, D, F, and G indicate SEMs.