Fig. 10.

Long-term preventive treatment improves axonal and neuronal degeneration in the visual system and leads to sustained preservation of the NFL/GCL/IPL composite layer of the retina. a Quantification of SMI32+ axonal spheroids of Wt and PLPmut mice and of PLPmut mice after 330 days of preventive treatment. The numbers of SMI32+ axonal spheroids were significantly increased in the untreated PLPmut mice, but elevation was significantly attenuated upon long-term preventive treatment. Mice were investigated at 15 months of age. b Quantification of perikarya in the ganglion cell layer of flat-mounted retinae of Wt and PLPmut mice and of PLPmut mice after 330 days of preventive treatment. The numbers of perikarya were significantly reduced in the untreated PLPmut mice, but partially rescued upon long-term preventive treatment. Mice were investigated at 15 months of age. c Longitudinal analysis of NFL/GCL/IPL thickness of Wt, untreated PLPmut mice and long-term preventively treated PLPmut mice at 4, 6, 9, 12, and 15 months of age by OCT. Note reduced thinning of the retinal NFL/GCL/IPL composite layer over the complete period of teriflunomide treatment. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc tests. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. n = 5 mice per group