Figure 3: Effects of E2-treatment upon the ultrastructure of axons, myelin, oligodendrocytes, and expression of axonal proteins in the hippocampal CA1 region after chronic BCCAO.
(a) Representative photographs of double-immunofluorescent staining for myelin basic protein-2 (MBP2) (green) and NeuN (red, neuron marker) in Sham (Sh) 3 m, BCCAO 3 m, Placebo (Pla) 3 m, and E2-treatment 3 m (scale bars 50 μm, magnification 40×). (b,c,d) Western blot analysis for MBP2 and PHF1 protein expression in the hippocampal CA1 region of various groups at BCCAO 3 m. *P < 0.05 vs. sham group, #P < 0.05 vs. Pla 3 m group, n = 5–6; (e) Ultrastructure of axon, myelin and oligodendrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 region of various groups at BCCAO 3 m. Healthy axon with intact myelin (green star); damaged axon with severe disorganization (yellow star), dense degradation (yellow arrow) and swollen (blue star) myelin sheaths; Healthy oligodendrocytes with intact mitochondria (green star), and damaged oligodendrocytes with dilatation of rough endoplasmic reticulum (blue arrow), swollen mitochondria with broken cristae (red star).
