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. 2021 Nov 12;17(6):1324–1333. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.327348

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Lithium up-regulates the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in the spinal cord of rats with SCI.

Sham group: no spinal cord injury or treatment; SCI group: spinal cord injury only; LiCl group: lithium treatment after spinal cord injury. (A, B) Nrf2 and HO-1 expression in the spinal cord 7 days after surgery. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 6). *P < 0.05, vs. sham group; #P < 0.05, vs. SCI group (one-way analysis of variance followed by least significant difference test). (C) Representative immunofluorescence images of Nrf2/HO-1 at 7 days after surgery. There were more nuclear Nrf2- and cytoplasmic HO-1-positive cells in the LiCl group than in the SCI group, and in the SCI group than in the sham group. White arrows indicate neurons that were positive for Nrf2 staining (red, Alexa Fluor 647), HO-1 staining (green, Alexa Fluor 488), nuclear staining (blue, DAPI). Scale bars: 50 μm. Data are shown as mean ± SD (n = 6). *P < 0.05, vs. sham group; #P < 0.05, vs. SCI group (one-way analysis of variance followed by least significant difference test). DAPI: 4’,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole; HO-1: heme oxygenase-1; LiCl: lithium chloride; Nrf2: nuclear factor E2-related factor 2; SCI: spinal cord injury.