Figure 3: Temporal patterns and quantitative analysis of OPN expression in the 3-NP-injured striatum. | Scientific Reports

Figure 3: Temporal patterns and quantitative analysis of OPN expression in the 3-NP-injured striatum.

From: Spatiotemporal expression of osteopontin in the striatum of rats subjected to the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid correlates with microcalcification

Figure 3

(a–f) Double-labelling with OPN and ionised calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) 3 (a,b), 7 (c,d), and 14 days (e,f) post-lesion. Note the two different OPN-positive profiles: prominent perinuclear OPN (white arrows in b, d, and f) within brain macrophages, and a punctate pattern of OPN staining in the extracellular matrix. In addition, note that brain macrophages containing perinuclear OPN are rare 3 days post-lesion, but tend to increase by days 7 and 14. (g) Temporal morphological features of the dot-like OPN staining after the 3-NP injection. Note that dot-like OPN staining appears to increase in size progressively through day 14, at which time large structures with varying shapes are frequently observed. (h) Scatterplot of the cross-sectional areas of the OPN-positive structures, excluding those localised within brain macrophages. Data are presented as means ± standard errors of the mean. Note the progressive increase in the sizes of the OPN-positive structures over the 2-week time period post-lesion. ***P < 0.0001.

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