Figure 7 | Scientific Reports

Figure 7

From: A mouse model of hepatic encephalopathy: bile duct ligation induces brain ammonia overload, glial cell activation and neuroinflammation

Figure 7

Astrocyte reactivity and function after BDL in C57Bl/6j mice. (A) Representative confocal maximum intensity projection images of GFAP positive astrocytes and magnified 3D reconstructed astrocytes in the CA3 region of the hippocampus at different timepoints after BDL. (B) Quantification of 3D reconstructed astrocytes, showing branch length, number of branch points, branch segments and endpoints per cell in sham (n = 5) or BDL animals (n = 5/timepoint) at different timepoints after BDL. (C) Expression levels of astrocyte reactivity markers Fkbp5, Cp and Serpina3n in sham (n = 8) and BDL (n = 6/timepoint) mice at different timepoints after BDL. (D) Blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability assessment through measurement of brain tissue fluorescence after iv injection of 4 kDa FITC-Dextran in sham (n = 5) and BDL (n = 7), 28 days after induction. All data are represented as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001. Scale bar GFAP = 20 µm. Scale bar 3D reconstruction = 5 µm. BBB blood–brain barrier, BDL bile duct ligation, Cp ceruloplasmin (Cp), Fkbp5 FK506 binding protein 5 (Fkbp5), GFAP glial fibrillary acidic protein, Serpina3n serpin family A member 3.

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