Figure 4.

Ultrastructural morphometry of mitochondria within cell body of motor neurons. The soma (cell body) of motor neurons from the anterior horn of the mouse spinal cord was counted to establish the density (A) the alterations (B) and the size (C) of mitochondria. The criteria used to define a mitochondrion as altered were extensively reported in the Materials and Methods Section. Mitochondrial density within cell body is dramatically augmented by lithium administration both in WT and G93A mice (A). In line with the preservation of mitochondrial architecture observed in Figure 2B, lithium significantly reduces the percentage of altered mitochondria (B). As noticed from representative pictures a re-shaping effect of lithium is also counted The size of mitochondria was increased in G93A mice administered vehicle but it is brought back to WT values when G93A mice received lithium. Remarkably, such re-sizing effects of lithium also occur in WT mice, where lithium further decreases mitochondrial diameter in WT mice (C). Values are given as the mean ± S.E.M. Comparisons between groups was made by using One-way ANOVA. ^*P ≤ 0.05 compared with vehicle-treated mice in graph.