Figure 1.

Loss of excitatory postsynaptic structures in EAE hippocampus occurs independent of motor deficits. A, Hippocampal sections immunostained for excitatory postsynaptic marker PSD95 were imaged within the stratum radiatum of area CA1 (box). B, High-power images show that punctate staining for PSD95 was disrupted in EAE mice, with appearance of PSD95-positive material in a nonpunctate pattern at 25 dpi that was cleared by 55 dpi. C, Density of PSD95-positive puncta was decreased by 28 ± 9% and 32 ± 22% in EAE mice at 25 and 55 d compared with age- and sex-matched sham-immunized controls. D, Loss of hippocampal PSD95 puncta at either time point did not correlate with peak severity of motor deficits in EAE mice (Spearman's ρ = 0.16, p = 0.56). E, Western blots showed decreases in excitatory postsynaptic proteins PSD95 and GluR1 in hippocampal homogenates from EAE versus sham mice at 23 dpi. All protein bands are from the same gel. F, PSD95 levels normalized to β-actin were decreased by 45 ± 13% in EAE hippocampi compared with sham controls, and GluR1 levels decreased by 34 ± 16%. *p < 0.05.