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. 2023 Jan 22;13(3):1059–1075. doi: 10.7150/thno.81067

Figure 1.

Figure 1

CORT induces depressive-like behaviors, hippocampal-dependent cognitive deficits, reduced neuronal BDNF levels. (A) Immobility time in the TST. n = 12 per group, P = 0.0029. (B) Immobility time in the FST. n = 12 per group, P = 0.0002. (C) Representative tracking plots of the EPM. (D) Time spent in the open arms of the EPM. n = 12 per group, P = 0.0003. (E) Representative tracking plots of the OFT. (F) Average time spent in the central area of the OFT. n = 12 per group, P = 0.0004. (G) Time spent in the non-periphery area of the OFT. n = 12 per group, P < 0.0001. (H) Time spent in the periphery area of the OFT. n = 12 per group, P < 0.0001. (I) Diagram of the NOR test. (J) Exploration time for the novel object B in the exploration stage of the NOR test. Control (n = 12), CORT (n = 9), P = 0.0237. (K) Preference index in the exploration stage of the NOR test. Control (n = 12), CORT (n = 9), P = 0.0248. (L) Representative western blots analyzing BDNF protein expression in the control and CORT groups. (M) Quantification of BDNF expression. n = 3 mice per group, P < 0.0001. (N) Quantification of BDNF gene mRNA expression. n = 4 mice per group, P = 0.0024. (O) Quantification of BDNF+ cells. n = 3 mice per group, P < 0.0001. (P) Representative images of the control and CORT DG with double immunostaining of BDNF+ (red) and NeuN+ (green) cells. Arrowheads indicate BDNF+/NeuN+ cells. (Q) Quantification of BDNF+NeuN+ cells. n = 3 mice per group, P < 0.0001. (R) Quantification of BDNF+NeuN+ cells/total BDNF+ cells. n = 3 mice per group, P = 0.4026. Scale bar = 20 μm. Data are presented as the mean ± standard error of mean (SEM). Two-tailed unpaired t-test was used to identify statistically significant differences between datasets (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 compared to the control group). n.s., non-significant difference.