Figure 3.

Shows sections through the L4 dorsal horn at various times after sham (top) and SNI (bottom) surgery at P10 (left and middle) and adult (right). Sections are immunostained with the astrocytic marker GFAP (red) and the non peptidergic C-fibre marker isolectin IB-4 (green). SNI surgery at P10 produces non significant astrocyte activation after 7 days compared to sham in (P10) rats. However, there is a late onset of astrocyte activation at 21 days post surgery which is significantly greater than sham and similar to that seen in adult rats 7 days post surgery. The gap in isolectin IB-4 is a marker of the terminal region of the nerves damaged by SNI surgery. B) Quantification of astrocyte activation in the three experimental groups illustrated in A. GFAP stained astrocytes with signs of gliosis were counted and the results are expressed as fold difference of the contralateral side. *: (n = 3 animals per experimental group, 3-way ANOVA, p < 0.001, Tukey, p < 0.05).