Figure 2.

Reduction in the population of radial glia and IPCs as a function of postnatal age in E28.5 rabbits. (A) Representative immunofluorescence of cryosections from E28.5 rabbit kits labeled with Sox2 and Ki67 specific antibodies at D1 and D7 (as indicated). Note reduced expression of total and cycling Sox2+ cells in the VZ and SVZ of the dorsal telencephalon of rabbits at D7 compared with D1. The bar charts are mean ± s.e.m. (n = 5 each). The number of total and cycling Sox2⁺ radial glia were reduced as a function of postnatal age from D1 through D7. (B) The coronal cryosections from forebrain of E28.5 kits at D1 and 7 were labeled with Tbr2 and Ki67 specific antibodies. Upper panel is low power image and lower panel is high magnification images of the boxed area in the upper panel. Note abundance of Tbr2⁺ cells in the SVZ (as indicated) in E28.5 kits at D1 and scarcity of Tbr2 at D7. The bar charts are mean ± s.e.m. (n = 5 each). The number of total and cycling Tbr2⁺ IPC were reduced as a function of postnatal age from D1 through D7. (C) Representative Western blot analyses for Sox2 and Tbr2 on forebrain homogenates of preterm rabbits at D1, D3, and D7. The bar charts are mean ± s.e.m. (n = 5 each). Values were normalized to β actin levels. Both Sox2 and Tbr2 levels were reduced in kits at D3 and D7 relative to D1. **P < 0.01: indicate comparison between rabbits at D3 and D7 versus D1. Scale bar as indicated.