Figure 6
Transfection of LV-CGRP and exogenous CGRP alleviated neuronal injury of the DRG neurons. Transfection of CGRP genes effectively alleviated the apoptotic changes of the dissociated DRG neurons from the diabetic animals (A,B) and reduced the elevation of LDH in the culture medium (C). Exogenously administered CGRP (at 10−8 mol/L, the final concentration) produced the same protective effects on the apoptotic changes (D,E) and the LDH (F). The effects of CGRP were completely reversed by CGRP8–37, a specific antagonist of CGRP receptor (at 10−7 mol/L, the final concentration). Control the neurons from the age matched non-diabetic animals, Diabetic the neurons from the diabetic animals, Db + LV-GFP DRG neurons from diabetic animals transfected with GFP genes, Db + LV-CGRP DRG neurons from diabetic animals transfected with CGRP genes. Db + CGRP the neurons collected from the diabetic animals treated with CGRP, Db + CGRP + CGRP8–37 the neurons collected from the diabetic animals treated by CGRP8–37 then by CGRP. **p < 0.01, compared to the control; $p < 0.05, compared to diabetic group; $$p < 0.01, compared to Diabetic group; &p < 0.05, compared to Db + CGRP + CGRP8–37 group; &&p < 0.01, compared to Db + LV-GFP group or Db + CGRP + CGRP8–37 group. The scales = 100 µm in (A) and 50 µm in (D), respectively.
