Figure 5.

Effects of BeD herbal components on neurite outgrowth and the production of phospho-Erk1/2 and TNF-α in DRG neurons. (a) Comparison of neurite outgrowth in DRG neurons after treatment of herbal drugs. Cells were treated with PD98059 (10 μM) or DMSO vehicle for 4 h before the addition of herbal drugs and cultured for 48 h. ^∗p < 0.05, ^∗∗p < 0.01 versus corresponding DMSO vehicle-treated groups; ^†p < 0.05 versus saline control. Number of independent experiments = 4. (b). Immunofluorescence views of NF-200 and phospho-Erk1/2 signals in DRG neurons. (c) Immunofluorescence views of NF-200 and TNF-α signals in DRG neurons. In (a)–(c), DRG was prepared from STZ-diabetic rats, and cultured cells were treated with herbal drugs (0.5 mg/ml) for 48 h before cell harvest for immunofluorescence staining. Scale bars in (b) and (c) = 100 μm.