Figure 6.

ROCKII gene deletion promotes regeneration of CTB-labeled sensory neurons after rhizotomy. A, Photomicrographs illustrate high-power transverse sections of cervical spinal cord from adult ROCKII^+/+ (left) and ROCKII^−/− (right) mice which underwent dorsal rhizotomy at cervical spinal cord segments C5–C8 28 d previously. CTB-labeled axons (green channel) can be seen in the dorsal root of both genotypes (asterisk, both photomicrographs). However, significantly greater numbers of axons are present entering the DREZ in the ROCKII^−/− group (arrow in right photomicrograph) than in control group (arrow in left photomicrograph, quantified in B, asterisk). Reactive astrocytes are visualized by anti-GFAP immunofluorescence (red channel). Scale bar, 100 μm. Mean ± SEM, one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05.