Fig. 4: Effects of Trx-1 on autophagy in MPTP- treated mice.

There are some normal morphology mitochondria, round or oval with fewer autophagosomes in control mice (C). The increase in number of changed morphology mitochondria characterized by mitochondrial crest structure disappeared. The mitochondria were significantly increased with a double membrane structure and a large number of autophagosomes in mice treated with MPTP (M). There are normal morphology mitochondria, round or oval with fewer autophagosomes in Trx-1 overexpressing mice (T). The changed morphology mitochondria and mitochondria with a double membrane structure were fewer in Trx-1 overexpressing mice treated with MPTP (TM). There are some normal morphology mitochondria, round or oval with few autophagosomes in negative control of AD-Null vehicle group (N). The autophagosomes and damaged mitochondria were significantly increased in AD-Null vehicle mice treated with MPTP group (NM). There are a large number of abnormal morphology mitochondria and some autophagosomes in AD-r-Txn1-shRNA-Null mice (S). The changed morphology mitochondria and autophagosomes were increased in AD-r-Txn1-shRNA-Null mice treated with MPTP (SM). Red arrow indicated the damaged mitochondria. Yellow arrow indicated autolysosomes with double membrane structures (A). Qualitative analysis of the number of autophagosome per 10 × 10 μm² in the SNpc in MPTP-treated mice under TEM (B and C). The expressions of LC3 II/I and p62 in the SNpc in mice treated with MPTP were detected by Western blot analysis. The MPTP-increased expression of LC3 II/I and p62 was suppressed in Trx-1 overexpressing transgenic (Tg) mice (D, E) and was further increased in Trx-1 knockdown in the SNpc in mice (F, G). Each bar represents the mean ± SEM (n = 6). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, statistically significant.