FIGURE 1.

Effect of melatonin on neurological scores, brain infarction and neurodegeneration. (A) Effect of melatonin on Nissl staining. Representative photomicrograph of cresyl staining showing the extent of surviving neurons in cortex and striatum; (n = 7 animals/group). The number of experiments performed = 3 and data presented is relative to sham. Magnification 20×, scale bar = 50 μm. (B) Tunel histochemistry with representative photos showed apoptotic cells (scale bar = 50 μm, magnification 20×). Images are representative of experiments performed 3 times with n = 7 per group. MCAO causes significant neuronal apoptosis; while treatment with melatonin attenuated apoptotic damage. (C) Brain coronal sections were stained with TTC, which distinguishes between ischemic and non-ischemic areas. Student’s t-test was used for analysis, (n = 7/group. ^∗∗∗ indicates p < 0.001, while symbols ^∗∗ and ^## represent p < 0.01 significantly different; ^# indicates p < 0.05. Symbols ^∗ shows significant difference relative to sham control while ^# shows significant difference relative to MCAO. (D) Coronal sections separated by frontal cortex (1), parietal cortex and insular cortex (2), and periform cortex (3). The analyzed region of interests indicated by square 1 and F. (E) 28 points composite scoring. Mela+MCAO rats had significantly less severe neurological deficits (^#p < 0.05) than MCAO rats had. Mann-Whitney (non-parametric test) is applied and neurological score data is presented as the median and range (n = 10–14/group).