FIG. 5.

Rapamycin suppresses astrogliosis after controlled cortical impact (CCI). Mice were treated with vehicle (Veh) or rapamycin (Rapa), and analyzed 24 h after CCI or sham surgery. Sections were stained with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibodies (red) and counterstained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) or Sytox (blue). (A) Western blot analysis of GFAP levels normalized to actin in the contralateral (C-side) or lesion side (L-side) after sham surgery or CCI. GFAP levels are elevated in both sides of the CCI-injured hippocampus. (B) Low magnification images of the C-side hippocampus after sham or CCI confirm the increase in the number of GFAP-positive cells after CCI. (C) Confocal images of area CA1 in the C-side or L-side after sham surgery. (D) Confocal images of area CA1 in the C-side or L-side after CCI and Veh or Rapa treatment. (E) Confocal images of area CA3 in the C-side or L-side after sham surgery. (F) Confocal images of area CA3 in the C-side or L-side after CCI and Veh or Rapa treatment. (G) Quantification of the number of GFAP-positive cells per area analyzed in the C-side of the brain in CA1 and CA3 regions. Rapa treatment significantly reduced astrogliosis in the C-side of both hippocampal areas (*p < 0.05 by Student t test). Scale bars: 100 μm. Color image is available online at www.liebertpub.com/neu