Figure 1.

Sequestering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) induces neuronal death after status epilepticus (SE) in vitro. (A) SE was induced in neuronal cultures for 3 h (“No Mg²⁺ buffer”) followed by growth media restitution. Controls cultures received a buffer with MgCl₂. After 6 h, cells were immunostained for NeuN and βIII-tubulin, plus DAPI. (B) Representative micrographs showing in vitro hippocampal neurons stained with NeuN (green), DAPI (blue) and βIII-tubulin (red) in control hippocampal neurons and 6 h post-SE, with or without the infusion of tropomyosin receptor kinase B-Fc (TrkB-Fc). Scale bar = 50 μm. (C) Quantification of NeuN-positive cells. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 3 independent experiments with three pseudo-replicates per experiment). Asterisk indicates p < 0.001 compared to control by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc analysis.