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Fig. 4 | Molecular Neurodegeneration

Fig. 4

From: Modulating the catalytic activity of AMPK has neuroprotective effects against α-synuclein toxicity

Fig. 4

Overexpression of the AMPK T172Dα1 subunit has the most significant neuroprotective effect against α-syn toxicity in vivo. AMPKα1, α2 or T172Dα1 subunits provide significant neuroprotection against α-syn toxicity in vivo, 4 months after vector injection. a Immunofluorescent staining for α-syn showing overexpression in the SNpc, 4 months after co-injection of the α-syn and AMPKα vectors. Scale bar: 1 mm. b Relative quantification of integrated α-syn immunofluorescence intensity in the midbrain, near the site of vector injection. Note the significant decrease in α-syn abundance in the groups co-injected with a vector encoding AMPKα1, α2 or the 1-310α2 variant (n = 5 per group). c Representative TH immunostaining of the SN. d Stereological evaluation of the loss of Nissl-stained neurons in the SNpc shows a significant neuroprotective effect for all AMPKα subunits. e Stereological analysis of the loss of TH-positive neurons in the injected SNpc. Note the significant neuroprotection induced by overexpression of the T172Dα1 subunit. f Representative TH immunostaining of the STR. g Optical densitometry analysis of TH-immunoreactivity in the STR, expressed as the percentage loss versus the non-injected hemisphere. h Spontaneous behavior of animals in cylinder test, expressed as the change in the preference of forepaw use. Statistical analysis: one-way ANOVA with Newman-Keuls post hoc test; for stereological and OD analysis of TH-immunoreactivity, n = 8 (control), n = 11 (α1), n = 8 (α2), n = 8 (T172Dα1); for cylinder test, repeated measures two-way ANOVA; n = 9 (control), n = 14 (α1), n = 10 (α2), n = 11 (T172Dα1); *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. In panels a, c, f: * indicates the injected hemisphere

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