Figure 6. Increased inflammation in the hippocampi of Aβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox /Lyz2-Cre mice. (A) Brain extracts of stereotaxically injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice and Atg7^flox/flox mice were diluted in PBS (1:40) and 1% BSA for examination of IL1B using ELISA. The bar graphs show the concentrations of IL1B. IL1B was increased by the greatest amount in fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice. The data are presented as the mean ± SEM of 17 samples and were analyzed using the Student t test. ***P < 0.005 vs. fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox mice. (B) Extracts were analyzed by immunoblotting for CASP1. The bar graphs show the densitometric quantification of the immunoblot bands. Each graph shows the band densities of the immunoreactive proteins as expressed as a percentage of the PBS-injected Atg7^flox/flox mice (100%). The level of cleaved CASP1 was increased in fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice. Data are shown as the mean ± SEM of 13 samples and were analyzed using the Student t test. ***P < 0.005. (C–E) Brain sections of stereotaxically injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice and Atg7^flox/flox mice were double-immunostained with AIF1 (red) and 6E10 (green). Representative images showing that microglia in the hippocampi of fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre and Atg7^flox/flox mice are associated with Aβ. (F) Bar graphs showing the number of Aβ-positive microglia. A higher number of microglia, including those with Aβ, were observed in fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice than fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox mice. Data are shown as the mean ± SEM of 17 samples and were analyzed using the Student t test. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.005 vs. fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox mice. (G) Brain sections of stereotaxically injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice and Atg7^flox/flox mice were immunostained with a MAP2 (microtubule-associated protein 2) antibody (red) to examine the dendritic damages. Shortening and fragmentation of dendrites are the most apparent in fAβ-injected Atg7^flox/flox/Lyz2-Cre mice.