Fig. 1.

Increased microglisis in the dentate gyrus of prion-diseased mice. (A–C) Quantification of the density (B) or relative sub-regional distribution (C) of microglial cells (Iba1⁺) in the dentate gyrus (DG) of prion-diseased mice (ME7; black bars) or NBH controls (normal brain homogenate, open bars). Representative images from c-fms EGFP NBH and ME7 mice shown in A (nuclei shown in red, DAPI). (B) Quantified data expressed as mean ± SEM of the number of Iba1⁺ cells/mm². (C) Quantified data expressed as mean ± SEM of the % of Iba1⁺ cells at a specific layer from the total population of Iba1⁺ at the dentate gyrus (DG). (D, E) Analysis of the cell-contact interaction of microglial cells (Iba1⁺) with neural progenitor cells (NPCs, DCX⁺) at the DG of ME7 or NBH mice. Microglial density was measured at high- or low-density DCX⁺ clusters. (E) Quantified data expressed as mean ± SEM of the number of Iba1⁺ cells/mm² at high/low density DCX⁺ clusters. Statistical differences: ^*p < 0.05 (vs. matching NBH area), ^***p < 0.001 (vs. matching NBH area). Data were analysed with a two-way ANOVA, showing statistical comparisons arising from a post-hoc Tukey test (n = 4–6). Scale bar in (A, D) 100 μm.