Fig. 5

Astrocyte activation is reduced in APPPS1;FE4Cre + mice. A Gene expression analysis of S100β in Cre-, Cre + FE3Cre-, FE3Cre+, FE4Cre-, and FE4Cre + mice. Graph is of S100β gene levels assessed by qPCR from cortical tissue samples (n = 3–9). B Gene expression analysis of GFAP in Cre-, Cre + FE3Cre-, FE3Cre+, FE4Cre-, and FE4Cre + mice. Graph is of GFAP gene levels assessed by qPCR from cortical tissue samples (n = 3–9). C Activated astrocyte staining in female Cre- and Cre + mice. Representative images in the top panel are of the cortex and hippocampus from brain sections immunostained using an anti-GFAP antibody (green). Images in the bottom panels are of GFAP immunostaining (green), using an anti-GFAP antibody, around X-34 stained amyloid plaques (blue). Scale bars = 200 μm (top panels), 20um (bottom panels). D Astrocyte activation in the cortex of Cre- or Cre + mice. Percent of cortical area covered by activated astrocytes was determined by analyzing GFAP stained brain sections (n = 10–14). E Astrocyte activation around fibrillar amyloid plaques in Cre- and Cre + mice. The volume of activated astrocyte processes around fibrillar amyloid plaques was determined by analyzing the amount of GFAP staining within 15 μm of X-34 stained plaques. GFAP volume was divided by the X-34 volume to normalize to the amount of plaque and account for differences in plaque size (n = 8–19). A-D * p ≤ 0.05, ** p ≤ 0.01; three way ANOVA and uncorrected Fisher’s LSD test in (A), (B), (D), and (E). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. See Supplementary Table 1 for detailed statistics