Fig. 5: The ROCK1 activation inhibitor Y-27632 improves the symptoms of MPTP-induced PD mice by inhibiting Drp1-dependent aberrant mitochondrial fission and apoptosis.

a The substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of the midbrain and the striatum were prepared and used to detect the expression of ROCK1 and CF of ROCK1 using western blot analysis. b The latency for the mice to fall from the rotarod was recorded. c SNpc and striatal tissues from each group were fixed, dehydrated, and subjected to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, a marker of dopaminergic nerve cells) staining for immunohistochemical analysis. Scale bars: 200 μm. d The number of TH-positive dopaminergic nerve cells in three randomly selected slices from each mouse was measured by Adobe Photoshop CC. e The expression of TH in the SNpc and striatum was determined by western blot analysis. f Immunohistochemical staining for C-Cas 3 and C-PARP in the SNpc and striatum are shown. Scale bars: 20 μm. g The expression of C-Cas 3 and C-PARP was determined by western blot analysis. h SNpc and striatal tissues from each group were subjected to p-Drp1 (Ser 600) staining for immunohistochemical analysis. Scale bars: 20 μm. i The expression of p-Drp1 (Ser 600) was also determined by western blot analysis. j The expression of Drp1 in mitochondrial lysates (M) was determined by western blot analysis. The data are expressed as the means ± S.D. (n = 3). ***P < 0.001