Fig. 2

TBI-induced apoE and MMP-9 responses in the ipsilateral cortex of wildtype mice. Wildtype mice were subject to TBI before whole ipsilateral cortex punches collected at 1, 3, and 7 days post-injury for protein and RNA analysis. (a) Western blot and densitometry analysis of PBS-soluble apoE in the ipsilateral cortex of wildtype mice following TBI (n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001). (b) apoe mRNA expression post-injury (n = 4, *p < 0.05). (c-d) Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis of apoe expression at 3 and 7 days post-TBI. (c1–4) apoe mRNA and GFAP immunofluorescence surrounding a cortical microvessel. (d1–4) apoe mRNA with PDGFRβ immunofluorescence. Scale bars C-D images 50 μm, inset C1-D4 images 20 μm. (e) In-situ zymography evidencing MMP-9 activity after TBI. (f) Western blot of MMP-9 in whole brain ipsilateral cortex and ipsilateral microvessels from wildtype mice 24 h post-injury (representative of n = 3). (g) In-gel zymography of MMP-9 activity in ipsilateral microvessels isolated from wildtype mice following TBI. (h) Densitometry analysis of in-gel MMP-9 zymography (n = 3, ***p < 0.001). Data expressed as mean ± S.E.M. One way ANOVA with Dunnett post hoc test