Figure 7
MPNL-induced pain-like behaviours depend on microglial cell activation.
The lumbar spinal cord samples were collected at indicated times after MPNL. (A) The mRNA for Aif1 (Iba1) and protein expressions were measured by RT-PCR (n = 6 per group), (B) western blotting (representative blotting and analyses of n = 4 per group) or (C) immunofluorescence (representative image in different magnifications, n = 4 per group). Scale bars of 500 and 100 μm. (D–F). The morphological subtypes of microglial cells (D) ramified, (E) hypertrophied and (F) amoeboid were quantified. (D) Mice (n = 5 per group) were treated with minocycline (i.t., 3–30 nmol/site) or vehicle before and 3 days after MPNL. The withdrawal threshold was assessed daily after surgery (3 h after drug administration). Time 0 represents the baseline value before surgery. The data are presented as the mean ± S.E.M. ***P < 0.001 and **P < 0.01 to *P < 0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference when compared with the sham or vehicle treated group.
