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. 2009 Apr 1;380(2):179–192. doi: 10.1007/s00210-009-0414-z

Fig. 7.

Fig. 7

Effects of GTE treatment on Bax and Bcl-2 levels. Representative Western blot of Bax levels and Bcl-2 was realised in spinal cord tissue collected at 24 h after injury. A basal level of Bax was present in the tissue from sham-operated mice (a, a, a1). Bax band is more evident in the tissue from spinal cord-injured mice (panel A a, a1). Bax band disappeared in the tissue from spinal cord-injured mice that received GTE treatment (a, a, a1). Moreover, a basal level of Bcl-2 was present in the tissue from sham-operated mice (a, b, b1). Bcl-2 band disappeared in the tissue from spinal cord-injured mice (a, b, b1). Bcl-2 band is more evident in the tissue from spinal cord-injured mice that received GTE treatment (a, b, b1). The results are expressed as mean ± SE mean from five blots. Moreover, Bax and Bcl-2 expression was also evaluated by immunoistochemical analysis in the spinal cord section at 24 h after SCI. Spinal cord section from sham-operated mice did not stain for Bax (b, a), whereas spinal cord section obtained from SCI-operated mice exhibited positive staining for Bax (b, b, b1). GTE treatment reduced the degree for positive staining for Bax in the spinal cord tissue (b, c) of mice subject to SCI. In addition, spinal cord section from sham-operated mice demonstrated Bcl-2 positive staining (b, d), while in SCI control mice, the staining significantly reduced (b, e). GTE treatment attenuated the loss of positive staining for Bcl-2 in the spinal cord tissue (b, f) from SCI-subject mice. Densitometry analysis of immunocytochemistry photographs (n = 5 photos from each sample collected from all mice in each experimental group) for Bax and Bcl-2 (b, g) from spinal cord tissues was assessed. The assay was carried out by using Optilab Graftek software on a Macintosh personal computer (CPU G3-266). Data are expressed as % of total tissue area. wm white matter, gm gray matter. This figure is representative of at least three experiments performed on different experimental days. *p < 0.01 vs. Sham. Degree symbol p < 0.01 vs SCI + vehicle