Extended Data Fig. 5: Effects of PLX5622 on cholesterol metabolism and brain cell populations post-MCAO.
a, Flow cytometry gating strategy used to assess cellular lipid changes in response to PLX5622 (PLX) treatment. b, PLX treatment significantly depleted the microglial population following MCAO. n = 3 mice/group. c, Lipid droplet accumulation increased in brain macrophages after PLX treatment, suggesting a compensatory response. n = 3 mice/group. d, PLX treatment led to elevated lipid burden in astrocytes post-MCAO. n = 3 mice/group. e, BODIPY staining revealed reduced overall lipid deposition in the brain following PLX-induced microglial depletion. Scale bar, 20 µm; n = 8 mice/group. f, Polarized light microscopy (PLM) showed decreased cholesterol crystal (CC) accumulation in the brain after PLX treatment. The anisotropic crystalline nature was confirmed by orientation-dependent interference colors under PLM with a first-order λ compensator. Scale bar, 20 µm; n = 8 mice/group. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was assessed by a two-sided unpaired Student’s t-test (b, c, d, e, f).
