Figure 5

Exercise protects against METH-induced fragmentation and redistribution of TJ proteins in brain capillaries. (A and B) Mice were subjected to exercise and/or METH exposure as described in the legend to Figure 2. Top row illustrates occludin immunoreactivity, followed by ZO-1, and merged images of occludin and ZO-1 (combined with the Nomarski technique to visualize capillaries). The bottom row illustrated claudin-5 immunoreactivity. In sedentary mice, METH exposure resulted in redistribution of occludin and decreased expression and fragmentation of ZO-1 and claudin-5 (arrows). These effects were markedly attenuated in exercised mice exposed to METH. (C) Mice were administered with METH (10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 1 h and occludin was assessed in isolated microvessels by immunoblotting. Data are mean ± SEM, n = 4. **As compared to the respective controls at p < 0.01.