Figure 11.

a, Photomicrographs show Golgi-Cox stained hippocampal neurons. At higher magnification, the distribution of dendritic spines was quantified serologically in the hippocampus. WT/SCZ and TLR4 floxed SCZ mice showed a significant decrease in CA1 (p<0.001) and DG (p<0.001) dendritic spine count when compared with the control. In subsequent analysis, TLR4 floxed SCZ mice showed a significant decrease compared with the WT/SCZ group (CA1: p<0.05, DG: p<0.01). In TLR4 KD SCZ loss of dendritic spines was significantly attenuated when compared with the other experimental SCZ groups (p<0.05), but was less versus the control (p<0.05; scale bar=20μm, 5μm).

b–c, Bar chart depicting statistical change in DG/CA1 dendritic spine count for the experimental SCZ groups and control.

d, Transmission Electron Microscopic images (scale bar=500nm, 100nm) show change in synaptic morphology for the experimental SCZ groups when compared with the control. WT/SCZ and TLR4 floxed SCZ mice show decreased post-synaptic density thickness (nm; bright red arrow heads) when compared with the control (WT; p<0.001). Additionally, WT/SCZ and TLR4 floxed SCZ recorded a significant increase in synaptic cleft diameter when compared with the control (p<0.001). These changes were attenuated in TLR4 KD SCZ hippocampus.

e, Bar chart show statistical change in post-synaptic density thickness for the experimental SCZ groups when compared with the control.