Figure 6.

Delivery of AAV encoding Alk5^CA significantly reduces MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration and microgliosis. AAV-Alk5^CA was stereotaxically injected into the right substantia nigra, and AAV-GFP was injected as a control into the left substantia nigra of the same wild-type C57BL/6 mice (male, 2 months of age). Two weeks later, mice were injected with MPTP and were killed 5 d later. A–C, MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration was assessed by TH immunostaining in the substantia nigra pars compacta (A, stereological estimation of TH⁺ neurons) and striatum (B, intensity of TH immunoreactivity), and reactive microglia were assessed by CD68 immunostaining (C). D–F, mRNA was isolated from the striata, and the expression of TNF-α, iNOS, and MCP-1 was analyzed by qPCR. Scale bars: A–C, 200 μm. Bars indicate the mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01, by paired t test. n = 7 mice/group.