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Figure 3 | Journal of Neuroinflammation

Figure 3

From: Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 contributes to inflammatory tongue pain via extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling in the trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis and upper cervical spinal cord

Figure 3

Neuronal localization and bilateral distribution of pERK expression in the Vc and C1-C2. (A) Photomicrographs of ERK, NeuN and GFAP staining in the Vc following noxious mechanical stimulation of the tongue on day 8 after CFA injection. pERK-IR was shown as green fluorescence (Aa and Ad). NeuN and GFAP were visualized with red fluorescence (Ab and Ae). Overlap of left and middle panels revealed double fluorescence (Ac and Af), which was only identified for p-ERK and NeuN staining, indicating the selective induction of pERK-IR in neurons. Arrows indicate the double-labeled cells. Scale bars: 50 μm. (B) pERK-IR cells following noxious mechanical stimulation of the tongue in ipsilateral (Ba, Bb, and Bc) and contralateral (Bd, Be, and Bf) Vc and C1-C2 on day 3 (Ba and Bd), day 8 (Bb and Be) and day 15 (Bc and Bf) after CFA injection. The expression of pERK-IR cells was detected in both sides of Vc and C1-C2 regions with an ipsilateral dominance. Most pERK-IR cells were located in the superficial layer and dorsomedial portion of Vc and C1-C2. Scale bars: 100 μm.

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