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. 2008 Aug 21;3(8):e3029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003029

Figure 5. Modification of synaptic protein levels in adult APP/PS1 mice by PTX treatment.

Figure 5

The effect of 10-day PTX treatment on the protein level of GABAA receptor α1 subunit was examined by Western blot analysis of brain homogenates. (A, B) Immunoreactivity against the GABAA receptor α1 subunit, as demonstrated by Western blotting, showed that the excess amount of this subunit in saline-treated APP/PS1 mice in comparison with the amount in saline-treated nonTg mice was absent in PTX-treated animals; *p = 0.0274, two-tailed Student's t-test. (C, D) Western blotting of membrane fractions from four groups of mice. Blots probed with antibodies against various receptors and PSD95 showed that the amounts of PSD95 and NR2B, but not other proteins, were higher in APP/PS1 mice than in nonTg mice. Because p-NR2B (NR2B phosphorylated at Tyr1472) did not differ among the four groups, the p-NR2B–to–total NR2B ratio in APP/PS1 mice was lower than that in nonTg mice. However, this difference between saline-treated nonTg and APP/PS1 mice was diminished by PTX treatment. Saline-treated nonTg mice vs. APP/PS1 mice: PSD95, *p = 0.00873; NR2B, *p = 0.00910; p-NR2B/NR2B, *p = 0.00871; two-tailed Student's t-test. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA also showed a significant difference in NR2B levels (F[1,4] = 14.32, *p = 0.0194) but not in PSD95 levels (F[1,4] = 5.27, p = 0.0834). Saline-treated APP/PS1 mice vs. PTX-treated APP/PS1 mice: NR2B, *p = 0.0383; p-NR2B/NR2B, *p = 0.0114; GABAA receptor α1 subunit, not significant p = 0.0810; PSD95, not significant p = 0.4304; two-tailed Student's t-test. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA also showed a significant difference in NR2B levels (F[1,4] = 7.72, *p = 0.0499) but not in PSD95 levels (F[1,4] = 0.31, p = 0.6070).