Figure 7.

Variations in pro- and activated caspase-12 levels in the frontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus determined in rats by Western blotting at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after injection of scrambled Aβ_25-35 peptide (10 μg/rat i.c.v., negative control) or Aβ_25-35 (10 μg/rat i.c.v.). Pro-caspase-12 (50 kDa) and activated caspase-12 (25 kDa) variations were normalized with those of β-tubulin (β-tub, 55 kDa) and were compared with untreated rats [control group (C)]. Results are expressed as means ± SEM. One-way analysis of variance: frontal cortex, F_6,74 = 12.93 (P < 0.0001) for pro-caspase-12 and F_6,74 = 14.85 (P < 0.0001) for cleaved caspase-12; amygdala, F_6,74 = 4.84 (P < 0.001) and F_6,74 = 6.58 (P < 0.0001) for the two caspase-12 forms, respectively; hippocampus, F_6,74 = 10.42 (P < 0.0001) and F_6,74 = 3.56 (P < 0.01) for the two forms, respectively; and hypothalamus, F_6,73 = 1.92 (P > 0.05) and F_6,73 = 1.80 (P > 0.05) for the two forms. **P < 0.01 versus control noninjected rats [control group (C)]; ^†P < 0.05, ^††P < 0.01 versus respective scrambled peptide treated rats. The number of animals per group for both caspase forms is indicated on white data bars.