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. 2013 Jun 18;10(3):520–538. doi: 10.1007/s13311-013-0198-1

Fig. 5.

Fig. 5

Microglial activation in the posterior nucleus (PO) is progressive after spinal cord injury (SCI) and attenuated by cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) inhibition. (a) Approximate positions of relevant anatomical structures are shown in an atlas overlay [87]. (b) ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) immunostaining revealed the presence of microglia in the PO of intact rat (b1). The number of Iba-1+ microglia at 7 days (7d) (b2) and 8 weeks (8w) (b3) post-injury was increased. (c) Microglia in the intact tissue displayed small compact somata bearing long thin ramified processes (c1) and exhibited larger cell body with shorter and thicker projections, and retraction of processes at 7 days (c2) and 8 weeks (c3) post-injury. (d) The percentage of Iba-1+ cells showed a significant increase in both PO and ventroposteriolateral nucleus (VPL) at 7 days and 8 weeks post-injury. This change was not observed in the adjacent centrolateral (CL) and ventral posteromedial (VPM) nucleus after SCI. CR8 treatment significantly reduced the number of Iba-1+ cells in the PO, as well as VPL, at both time points. (e) Quantification of pixel intensity for Iba-1 revealed significant microglial activation in both PO and VPL at 7 days and 8 weeks post-injury, as well as in the VPM at 8 weeks after SCI. These changes were remarkably suppressed by CR8 treatment. Microglial activation was not observed in the adjacent CL nucleus after SCI. n = 3 sections/location/time point/rat for 6–8 rats/group. *p < 0.05 vs Sham control; #p < 0.05 vs vehicle (Veh) groups. Scale bars = 500 μm for (b), and 100 μm for (c) and (d). CA1-3 (fields CA1-3 of Ammon's horn); DG (dentate gyrus); PoDG (polymorph layer dentate gyrus); LPMR (lat post thal nu, mediorostral); LDVL (laterodorsal thal nu, ventrolat); DLG (dorsal lateral geniculate nu); MDL (mediodorsal thal nu, lateral); Rt (reticular thal nu); PC (paracentral thal nu); VM (ventromedial hypoth nu); ZID (zona incerta, dorsal); ZIV (zona incerta, ventral); STh (subthalamic nu); Subl (subincertal nu); MePD (medial amyg nu. posterodorsal)