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. 2013 Oct 2;39(3):638–650. doi: 10.1038/npp.2013.243

Figure 4.

Figure 4

7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) prevents the synaptic loss in hippocampal CA1 area of 5XFAD mice. (a) Golgi staining reveals the dendritic spines from apical dendritic layer of the CA1 region. Scale bar, 5 μm. (b) Quantitative analysis of the spine density. The decreased spine density in 5XFAD mice was reversed by 7,8-DHF. n=6 in each group, *P<0.01. (c) Quantitative analysis of the synaptic density in non-transgenic, vehicle- and 7,8-DHF-treated 5XFAD mice. 5XFAD mice show decreased synaptic density, which was reversed by 7,8-DHF. Data are shown as mean±SEM (n=3 mice per group). *P<0.01. (d) Representative electron microscopy of the synaptic structures. Arrows indicate the synapses. (e) Immunoblot analysis of synaptic markers in brain homogenates from mice treated with vehicle or 7,8-DHF. The expression of presynaptic markers (synaptotagmin and synapsin I) and post-synaptic markers (PSD95 and spinophilin) were reduced in 5XFAD mice, indicating synaptic degeneration. 7,8-DHF reversed the decrease of synaptic markers.