Fig. 2.

Plasticity following monocular visual deprivation is reduced in Tnf−/− mice. (A) Ocular dominance index (ODI) in individual animals (circles) and group average (horizontal line) computed from responses measured by intrinsic signal optical imaging. The gray box represents the mean ± SD of baseline ODI in Tnf+/+ animals with no deprivation. ND: no deprivation, MD: 5 days of monocular deprivation starting at P26-27. Inbred C57/Bl6 wild type animals received cortical infusion of soluble TNF receptor 1 (sTR) or vehicle (veh) during the MD. ** P<0.001 and * P<0.01 vs. corresponding ND group; § P<0.05 vs. Tnf+/+ MD; † P<0.05 vs. vehicle-treated animals. The inset on the right hand illustrates the visual stimuli used to evoke intrinsic signal responses in the binocular zone. (B) Distribution of ocular dominance scores of single units recorded electrophysiologically in Tnf+/+, Tnf+/−, or Tnf−/− mice after 5 days of MD starting at P26-27 and in age-matched animals without visual deprivation (ND). Data from Tnf+/+ and Tnf+/− mice were pooled because no significant difference was detected in ODIs between these two groups. Control (Tnf+/+ and +/−) ND: 3 mice, 78 cells; control MD: 4 mice, 122 cells; Tnf−/− ND: 3 mice, 101 cells; Tnf−/− MD: 4 mice 121 cells. P values in the figure were from Fisher exact test. (C) Contralateral bias index (CBI), which measures relative responses of single neurons to the two eyes, shown for individual animals (circles) and average group values (horizontal lines) computed from single unit data presented in (B). The gray box indicates the mean ± SD of baseline CBI in control animals. **P<0.01 and *P<0.05 vs. corresponding ND group; § P<0.05 vs. MD-Tnf+/+ group. Statistical analyses in A and C were performed using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparisons.