Figure 2. Immunohistochemistry tests assayed the p11, 5-HTR1b and 5-HTR4 protein levels in the hippocampus or cingulate gyrus in hIFN-α-2b (or PBS)-treated Balb/c mouse.

(A–C) Maps of the brain tissues showed the protein levels in the hippocampus (CA) or cingulate gyrus (cg), where cc represented the corpus callosum. (D) Isotype control for immunohistochemistry using rabbit IgG instead of the primary antibody. Each image comprised four micrographs (A–D), where left side of the image showed the PBS treatment group and right side of the image showed the hIFN-α-2b treatment group; upstream with 100× visual fields and downstream with 200× visual fields, which corresponded to the areas in the 100× micrographs marked by green-line boxes. (E–G) Integrated optical density (IOD) in the positive areas of the mouse hippocampus or cingulate gyrus, which were measured using “Image Improplus 6.0” software. The IOD/area values were shown in the histogram. (E) hIFN-α-2b treatment reduced the p11 protein levels in the hippocampus and cingulate gyrus compared with the controls. (F) hIFN-α-2b treatment decreased the 5-HTR1b protein levels in the hippocampus and cingulate gyrus compared with controls. (G) hIFN-α-2b treatment decreased the 5-HTR4 protein levels in the hippocampus but not in the cingulate gyrus compared with the controls. Each group, n = 6; scale bar = 100 μm in 100× micrographs, scale bar = 50 μm in 200× micrographs. The data represented the mean ± S.E. compared with the controls. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01, and NS, no significant difference.