Figure 2.

Encapsulated NGF boosts neurite outgrowth in developing hippocampal neurons in vitro. (a) A snapshot of developing hippocampal neurons, at 6.5 h after plating, in control conditions. (b) As in (a) but in the presence of NGF-loaded LbL-microcapsules; blue arrows, clusters of microcapsules labelled by TRITC; merged DIC and TRITC fluorescence channels; line-traced neurites illustrate neurite length measurement in individual cells. (c) Statistical summary of total neurite length (sum of individual neurite lengths) per neuron, 6.5 h after plating, in control conditions (no microcapsules), and in the presence of encapsulated NGF for local (<50 µm from capsules) and non-local (>50 µm away) cells, as indicated; numbers of cells shown. Dots, individual cell data; bars, mean ± s.e.m; * p < 0.05 (two-tailed unpaired t-test); ordinate, log scale. (d) Statistical summary for the mean neurite length per individual cell; *** p < 0.001 (two-tailed unpaired t-test); other notations as in (c).