Figure 5. Synaptic protection in the striatum remains robust in old (∼12 month old) homozygous Wld^S mice after cortical lesion.

Representative electron micrographs of striatal synapses at low power (A) and higher power (B) from an old wild-type mouse (top panel) and old homozygous Wld^S mouse (bottom panel) 3 days after cortical lesion. Asterisks indicate degenerating synaptic profiles (identified principally by their electron dense cytoplasm) and arrows indicate healthy (i.e. non-degenerating) synaptic profiles. Degenerating synapses were readily identified in wild-type mice but rarely observed in homozygous Wld^S mice. As in young mice (see Figure 2), the morphological appearance of degenerating synapses was indistinguishable between the different genotypes. Scale bars; A = 1 µm, B = 0.5 µm.