(A) Neutralizing antibodies for CNTFRα (CNTFRα-NA) were injected in rats 3 weeks after the intranigral injection of AAV-hRheb(S16H). Following this, rats were injected into the MFB with MPP+. Representative coronal sections of the SN and STR of TH immunoperoxidase staining showed that CNTFRα neutralization attenuated the protective effects induced by hRheb(S16H) against MPP+ neurotoxicity. CON, contralateral control side; EXP, ipsilateral injected side. Scale bars represent 500 μm and 10 μm in the SN, respectively, and 500 μm in the STR. (B and C) The quantitative analysis of TH-positive neurons and fibers demonstrated that treatment with neutralizing antibodies for CNTFRα significantly decreased the hRheb(S16H)-induced neuroprotection on the nigrostriatal projection. All values are expressed as a percentage of the results in the ipsilateral SN and STR, respectively, compared with the contralateral controls (One-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc analysis; n = 4, each group).