Fig. 5.

MEL treatment to rats with chronic GWI diminished astrocyte hypertrophy and modulated microglial phenotype in the hippocampus. Figures A–L illustrate examples of GFAP+ astrocytes from the DG (A–F) and the CA1 subfield (G–L) of naïve control (A, G), GWI-Veh (B, H), GWI-MEL (C–F, I-L) groups. The bar charts M − P compare the area fraction (AF) of GFAP + structures in the DG (M), the CA1 subfield (N), the CA3 subfield (O), and the entire hippocampus (EH; P) between different groups. AF's of GFAP + structures were higher in the GWI-Veh group in all hippocampal regions but normalized to the naïve control level in the DG and CA1 subfields and when the hippocampus was taken in entirety in the GWI-MEL40 and GWI-MEL80 groups. Figures Q–V illustrate the morphology of representative IBA-1+ microglia from the CA3 subfield of naïve control (Q), GWI-Veh (R), GWI-MEL10-80 groups (S–V). The bar chart W compares the area occupied by individual IBA-1+ microglia in the CA3 subfield of different groups. Compared to the naïve control group, individual microglia area was diminished in the GWI-Veh group, normalized in the GWI-MEL10-40 groups, and enhanced in the GWI-MEL80 group. Scale bar, A-L = 100 μm; Q-V = 10 μm *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; and ***, p < 0.001; NS, not significant.