Figure 2
Increased C3 deposition, significant reduction in T2* relaxation time and abnormal foetal cortical brain cytoarchitecture in preterm birth (PTB) mice. (a) Confocal microscope photomicrographs demonstrating increased C3 deposition, decreased NF-200 and MAP-2 staining and increased neurodegeneration in the foetal brains in PTB mice compared with age-matched control. Microphotographs represent one of the five similar experiments. The brain diagram shows the area of the cortical brain where the microphotographs were taken. (b) Significant reduction in T2* time was observed in vivo in the foetal brains in utero in PTB mice treated with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO)-anti-C3 compared with age-matched control and PTB mice that received USPIOs or control Ab-USPIOs. *Statistically significant compared with control mice injected with USPIO-anti-C3 (P<0.05), to preterm mice that received USPIO (P<0.05) and SPIO-Ctrl antibody (P<0.05) and preterm untreated mice (P<0.05). (c) T2* maps of maternal abdomen in a PTB mouse and age-matched control injected with USPIO-anti-C3 antibodies. The dashed ovals show the amniotic sacs containing the foetuses. Microphotographs represent one of 4–5 similar experiments.
