Fig. 4.

Teriflunomide does not reduce elevated numbers of CD11b+ cells in optic nerves of PLPmut mice. a Representative immune fluorescence microscopy of CD11b + microglia/macrophages in longitudinal optic nerve sections from Wt, untreated mutants (PLPmut), preventively treated mutants (150 days, starting from postnatal month 4; PLPmut + teriflunomide preventive) and PLPmut mice after treatment interruption at 75 days after treatment onset (PLPmut + teriflunomide terminated). Mice were investigated at 9 months of age. b Quantification of CD11b+ microglia/macrophages in optic nerve sections of Wt and PLPmut mice and in PLPmut mice after 150 days of preventive treatment. The numbers of CD11b+ microglia/macrophages were significantly increased in the untreated PLPmut mice. This increase was not significantly reduced upon preventive treatment. Mice were investigated at 9 months of age. c Quantification of CD11b+ microglia/macrophages in optic nerve sections of PLPmut mice after 75 days of preventive treatment, followed by 75 days without treatment. CD11b+ microglia/macrophages are not reduced in number upon terminated treatment. Mice were investigated at 9 months of age. d Immunofluorescent depiction of CD11b+ microglia/macrophages and their quantification (right) in optic nerve sections of Wt and PLPmut mice and in PLPmut mice after 150 days of therapeutic treatment (PLPmut + teriflunomide therapeutic) starting at 10 months of age. Therapeutic treatment did not change the elevated number of CD11b+ microglia/macrophages in PLPmut mice. Mice were investigated at 15 months of age. Scale bar 30 μm. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc tests. *P < 0.05. n = 5 mice per group