Sterile lung injury (SLI) promotes microglia/macrophage morphologic changes throughout the dorsomedial brainstem
A1. Representative images of coronal brainstem sections from saline- (orange) and Bleo-treated rats (red) immunostained for Iba-1 and amplified using avidin/biotin + 3,3’-diaminobenzadine (DAB). DAB visualized Iba-1+ IR was used to count cells in the dorsal brainstem.
A2. Magnified representative images of Iba-1+ cells in the dorsal border of the Central Canal (dbCC, left panel) and Area Postrema (AP, right panel).
B1. The number of Iba-1+ cells in the czAP was not significantly different in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.87, Two-tail t-Test).
B2. The branch number (Br#) in the czAP decreased in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.024, Two-tail t-Test).
B3. Bleo-treated rats had fewer branch endpoints (BEPs) in the czAP compared to saline-treated rats. (P = 0.03, Two-tail t-Test).
B4. The total branch length (TBL) in the czAP was reduced in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.031, Two-tail t-Test).
C1. The number of Iba-1+ cells in the dorsal border of the CC (dbCC) increased in Bleo- (n = 7) compared to saline- (n = 8) treated rats (P = 0.018, Two-tail t-Test).
C2. The BN#/Iba-1+ cell (Br#) located in the dbCC increased in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.027, Two-tail t-Test).
C3. The number of BEPs/Iba-1+ cell (BEPs) in the dbCC increased in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.049, Two-tail t-Test).
C4. The TBL/Iba-1+ cell in the dbCC increased in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.035, Two-tail t-Test).
D1. The number of Iba-1+ cells in the Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus (DMNX) was not significantly different between Bleo- and saline-treated rats (P = 0.53, Two-tail t-Test).
D2. The Br# in the DMNX was reduced in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.01, Two-tail t-Test).
D3. Bleo treated rats exhibited reduced BEPs in the DMNX in comparison to saline-treated rats (P = 0.01, Two-tail t-Test).
D4. The TBL in the in the DMNX was reduced in Bleo-compared to saline-treated rats (P = 0.012, Two-tail t-Test).