Figure 4

Sexually divergent effects of COMT genetic disruption on neuronal and total cells counting in deep layers of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) arise during adolescence. COMT genetic disruption does not affect neuronal counting (NeuN+) in infant mice (a), while a sex-by-genotype interaction is shown in adolescent (b) and adult (c) mice. COMT genetic deletion does not affect cellular counting (Hoechst+) in (d) infant mice and (f) adult mice, whereas it increases the total number of cells in (e) adolescent males. Pre-pubertal COMT+/+ males N=4, females, N=4; COMT+/− males N=3, females N=5; COMT−/− males N=4, females N=3. Pubertal COMT+/+ males N=5, females, N=4; COMT+/− males N=5, females N=4; COMT−/− males N=5, females N=4. Post-pubertal COMT+/+ males N=5, females, N=6; COMT+/− males N=3, females N=3; COMT−/− males N=5, females N=4. *P<0.05 versus COMT+/+ of the same sex.