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. 2011 Nov 21;121(12):4820–4837. doi: 10.1172/JCI45677

Figure 9. Statin treatment abates the effect of VCP knockdown on dendritic spine density.

Figure 9

Cultured hippocampal neurons were cotransfected with GFP-actin and vector control or VCP miRNA at 12 DIV and treated with lovastatin (Lova.) at 15 DIV for 3 days or simvastatin (Simva.) at 14 DIV for 4 days. Quantitative measurements of spine density are shown as (A) cumulative probability distributions and (B and D) graph of protrusion densities. For A and B, more than 53 neurons and 213 dendrites for each group were analyzed. For D, more than 30 dendrites for each group were analyzed. In the presence of statins, knockdown efficiency of VCP miRNA assayed by immunostaining using VCP antibody was also evaluated in C and E. For VCP-knockdown neurons, somas were outlined based on the GFP signal. In C, sample sizes of each group were as follows: vehicle plus control, 51; vehicle plus miRNA, 35; lovastatin plus control, 59; lovastatin plus miRNA, 26. In A, P < 0.001, miRNA vehicle versus control vehicle and miRNA lovastatin 2 μM versus control lovastatin 2 μM. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001. Scale bars: 10 μm (C and E).