Administration of T10, MK-801, or their combination on SNL-induced astrocytic activation and STAT3 phosphorylation. (a–d) Immunohistochemistry indicated that activated astrocytes presented as hypertrophied cell bodies and thickened processes with enhanced GFAP immunoreactivity (IR) and many of the p-STAT3-IRs was co-labeled with GFAP-IR. Western blot analysis showed that the GFAP and p-STAT3 expression levels were significantly decreased on days 3 (e and g) and 7 (f and h) but not on days 14 (i and k) and 21 (j and l), in all intervention groups compared with the SNL saline group. However, the combined treatment groups experienced better outcomes than the single treatment groups except on day 21 (g, h and k, l); When the ratio of T10 and MK-801 was 1/3, the expression levels of GFAP and p-STAT3 were significantly reduced (g, h, and k). ##P < 0.001, SNL saline group versus sham saline or normal group; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, medication groups versus SNL saline group, #P < 0.05, mixed drugs administration groups versus single drug injection groups, &P < 0.05, SNL-T/M (1/3) group versus SNL-T/M (3/1) group and SNL-T/M (1/1) group, respectively. Scale bar = 120 µm in a, c and 40 µm in b, d. SNL: spinal nerve ligation; SDH: spinal dorsal horn; GFAP: glial fibrillary acidic protein.