Fig. 5.

Platelet depletion does not affect neuronal density, microthrombi formation or atrophy in the chronic phase after ischaemic stroke. Disregarding differences between contra- and ipsilesional hemispheres, both treatment groups showed the same levels of CD31⁺/GPIX⁺ vessel staining (A, B) as well as NeuN⁺ (C) neuronal staining. Atrophy of brain tissue was calculated based on scans from brain slices at the end of the experiment on day 28 (D). No difference occurred between platelet depleted and control antibody treated animals. Representative images were taken from each group to show infarct size and atrophy (E). Infarcts are visible as brighter areas in MRI scans, located in the striatum. Unstained brain scans from day 28 post ischaemia show bright areas in rostral slices as a residue from the infarcted area. In case of normal distribution unpaired, two-tailed Student's t-test corrected by Holm-Sidak method was used for statistical analysis, otherwise Mann-Whitney-U test was applied. Scale bar indicates 50 μm [B]; 1 cm [E]. N = 5/7 (Atrophy), N = 5/6 (Immunohistochemistry).