Fig. 5
From: Inhibition of NADPH oxidase activation reduces EAE-induced white matter damage in mice
Apocynin treatment attenuates MOG-induced immune cell infiltration in the spinal cord and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the spleen and spinal cord. a PFA-fixed sections of the thoracic spinal cord were immunohistochemically stained with antibodies against cell surface molecules such as CD4, CD8, F4/80, and CD20. Immunostaining revealed that T cell, B cell, and microglia/macrophage-labeled cells were extensively infiltrated into the white matter of the spinal cord in EAE mice (EAE + vehicle, n = 3). However, apocynin treatment reduced the infiltration of immune cells into the white matter of the spinal cords in EAE mice (EAE + apocynin, n = 3). Scale bar represents 200 μm. b The graphs represent percent area of CD4, CD8, F4/80, and CD20 immunoreactivity in the white matter of thoracic spinal cord with or without apocynin treatment in sham-operated and EAE mice. Data are mean ± sem (n = 3). *p < 0.05 compared with apocynin-treated group. Spleen and spinal cord perfused with cold PBS were used for extraction of total RNA. Expression of mRNA was determined with the RT-PCR method. RT-PCR results demonstrated an increase of TNF-α and IL-12 in the spleen (c) and spinal cord (e) of EAE mice (EAE + vehicle, n = 4). However, apocynin (EAE + apocynin, n = 4) significantly reduced the EAE-associated increase in mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-12. The graphs represent quantification of TNF-α and IL-12 expression with or without apocynin treatment in the spleen (d) and spinal cord (f) of EAE mice. Data are mean ± sem (n = 4). *p < 0.05 compared with apocynin-treated group