Figure 2.

Vagotomy increases astrocytic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in the nucleus tractus solitarii (nTS). Control (A), sham (B), and vagotomy (C) GFAP-immunoreactivity (IR) at mid-area postrema (AP) level of the nTS shown as grayscale (top) and threshold (bottom) images. 150 × 150 µm areas (boxes) in the nTS (outlined in yellow) and the dorsal motor nucleus (DMX) (outlined in green, see Supplemental Fig. S1.) were analyzed in thresholded images. Vagotomy increased GFAP-IR compared with sham and control in both the intact (D) and manipulated (E) (or control equivalent) sides at the mid-AP level of the nTS. In addition, GFAP-IR after vagotomy was greater at mid-AP compared with caudal and rostral nTS on both sides. F: at the mid-AP level of the nTS, vagotomy increased GFAP-IR to a greater degree on the manipulated side. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Holm–Sidak post hoc analysis, Number of rats, control n = 8, sham n = 9, vagotomy n = 9. *P < 0.05.