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. 2010 Jun 22;8(6):e1000399. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000399

Figure 11. Delayed NCS1 overexpression after pyramidotomy induces axonal sprouting and regeneration from the lesioned CST.

Figure 11

Photomicrographs of GFP positive fibers in horizontal sections of the caudal medulla oblongata following a unilateral intracortical injection of lentivector 2 d after a pyramidotomy. Images are orientated in the rostral-caudal orientation from left to right. GFP positive fibers are depicted as green and the reactive astrocytes demarcating the lesion site are depicted as red. (A–E) In control HIV-GFP-transduced rats, GFP positive fibers (arrows) are seen approaching the rostral edge of the lesion (B) but few GFP positive fibers distal to the lesion. (F–J) In HIV-GFP-NCS1-transduced rats, GFP positive fibers (arrows) are seen approaching the lesion site from the rostral side. Equally important, GFP positive fibers (arrows) are present caudally with a distance of up to 2 mm distal to the lesion. (K–L) Quantification of GFP labelled fibers in the side ipsilateral to the pyramidal tract lesion demarcated by the midline with the lesion site as 0 µm. The HIV-GFP-NCS1-transduced rats showed a significant increase in the number of GFP positive fibers along the rostral and caudal regions to the lesion when compared with the control HIV-GFP-transduced rats. Panels B–E and G–J are higher magnifications of areas indicated by dashed boxes of panels A and F, respectively. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM from n = 4–5 rats per group with 5–6 sections per animal. * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001, two-way ANOVA, Tukey post hoc test. Scale bar: 500 µm.