Figure 2. Expression changes of CRMP4 in spinal motoneuron and glial cells after SCI.

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of CRMP4 of the intact and injured spinal cords at 1 week after transection (SCI 1 W). (a) Representative images from cross sections of spinal cord show double-immunofluorescent staining for Nissl (the marker for neurons; red) and CRMP4 (green). CRMP4 staining was apparent in Nissl-positive motoneuron in the ventral horn (solid arrowheads) both in intact and injured spinal cords from control Crmp4+/+ mice. This CRMP4 signal was undetectable in intact Crmp4−/− spinal cord. (b) Co-localization of CRMP4 (green) and MAP2 (red) immunopositive structures, which labeled neuronal cell bodies and their dendrites, in the ventral horn of intact and transected spinal cords. (c–d) Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of CRMP4 in microglia/macrophage and astrocytes. (c) Images of sagittal sections show double immunofluorescent staining for CRMP4 (green) and red signals of OX-41, the marker for microglia/macrophage (c), or GFAP, the marker for normal and reactive astrocytes (d). In the intact spinal cord, red signals in the resting OX-41-positive microglia/macrophage and GFAP-positive astrocytes did not co-localized with green signals of CRMP4 (open arrowheads). However, at 1 week after SCI, CRMP4 signals are evident in activated these cells (arrowheads) adjacent lesion epicenter and astroglial scar. Nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue) in the same view in each section. Asterisks in d indicate lesion site. W, weeks. Scale bars: 100 μm.