FIGURE 8.

Effect of EX-4 on the distribution of perineuronal nets (PNNs) in the PC of the pre-motor model. (A) Slices of the anterior PC of sham animals, model treated either with saline or EX-4 were double stained for PNNs (WFA in green) and PV (in red) (top row) and for PNNs (WFA in red) and GAD-67 (in green) (bottom row) at 19 days after surgery. (B) Cell densities in the PC of the sham animals and toxin-treated animals at 8 days after surgery expressed as the number of WFA-positive and PV-positive neurones per mm³ (Ba) and as the number of WFA-positive and PV-negative neurones per mm³ (Bb). A decrease in the number of both WFA+/PV+ and WFA+/PV– cells was observed compared with that in the sham animals and models. (Ca) Densities of WFA+/PV+ neurones in the PC of the pre-motor model were decreased compared with that in sham animals at 19 days after surgery. The decrease was prevented by treatment with EX-4 and the addition of EX9-39 inhibited the effect of EX-4 in the model. (Cb) Densities of WFA+/PV– neurones in the PC of the model were also decreased compared with that in sham animals at 19 days after surgery. EX-4 prevented the decrease in the number of WFA+/PV– cells. Densities of WFA+/GAD+ neurones (Cc) and WFA+/GAD– neurones (Cd) in the PC at 19 days after surgery were decreased in the model compared with that in the sham animals. Treatment with EX-4 prevented the decrease of WFA+/GAD+ neurones only (Kruskal–Wallis test ^∗P < 0.05, ^∗∗P < 0.01, ^∗∗∗P < 0.001, ^∗∗∗∗P < 0.0001).