FIGURE 1.

Advanced oxidative protein products (AOPPs) caused mechanical hypersensitivity through activating Nox4 and inducing dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons apoptosis in vivo. (A) Paw mechanical threshold was tested by the electronic von Frey system after different treatments. (B) The weight of each rat was measured every 3 days. (C) Immunofluorescence staining of DRGs in different groups, Nox4 was stained green, while β-tubulin III was red, scale bar, 40 μm. (D) Expression levels of Nox4 in DRGs tissues (L4–L6) were detected by Western blotting. (E) TUNEL assay in DRG neurons, scale bar, 20 μm. Data represent mean ± SEM of at least three independent experiments. n = 5 rats per group. ^∗P < 0.05 versus PBS group. ^#P < 0.05 versus AOPPs–RSA group.