Figure 1 | Scientific Reports

Figure 1

From: The alpha7-nicotinic receptor contributes to gp120-induced neurotoxicity: implications in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders

Figure 1

The α7-nAChR is upregulated on neurons, but not microglia, isolated from the striatum of gp120-tgm. Striatal neurons and microglia were isolated from WT and gp120-tgm adult mice’s brain. Cells were incubated with (A) CD90 (neuronal marker – green) or (B) CD80 (microglia marker - green), Bgtx Alexa 555 (α7-nAChR marker – red), and DAPI (nucleus marker – blue), to then measure fluorescence levels on a confocal microscope (40x). (A) Results demonstrate an increase in Bgtx binding, which is limited to neurons (n = 5 mice/strain), indicating an increase in α7-nAChR expression levels. Quantification of fluorescence shows a 3-fold increase in α7-nAChR expression on striatal neurons from gp120-tgm mice. (B) Microglia (n = 3 mice/strain) also express α7-nAChR but do not deviate significantly on fluorescence intensity. Results are shown as mean ± SEM values. Unpaired Student’s t-test, **P ≤ 0.01. Scale bar = 40 μm for all images in panels A and B.

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