Figure 3 | Scientific Reports

Figure 3

From: Dentate gyrus μ-opioid receptor-mediated neurogenic processes are associated with alterations in morphine self-administration

Figure 3

Morphine-induced neuronal differentiation is mediated by MOR. (a) Cultured rat NSCs express both NSC marker nestin and MOR but express negligible levels of glial marker GFAP and neuronal marker DCX/NeuN. Scale bar represents 20 μm. (b) FCM analysis of NSCs reveals the effect of morphine treatment on neuronal differentiation. (i) NSCs are detected by CD24. Representative FCM histograms are shown. (ii) Quantification of differentiation using fluorescence intensity. ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001; one-way ANOVA. (c) Morphological analysis of NSCs showing effect of morphine treatment on dendritogenesis. (i) Representative images of cell morphology of NSCs after morphine treatment. Cells are labeled by neuronal differentiation marker MAP2 (red) and Hoechst (blue). Scale bar represents 20 μm. (ii) Chronic morphine treatment increases the number of cells with complex dendrites. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01; one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. (iii) Chronic and higher doses of morphine treatment increases total neurite length of NSCs. **p < 0.01; one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. All data are shown as mean ± s.e.m.

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