Fig. 7
From: Complement system activation contributes to the ependymal damage induced by microbial neuraminidase
Effect of NA on the ependyma of C6-deficient rats. The damage caused by icv-injected NA on the ependyma was studied in a strain of rats deficient for the complement factor C6 (b, e) 2 h after the injection of NA. Normal wild-type (WT) rats served as control for the NA-induced ependymal damage (c, f). The formation of MAC deposits was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (d–f). The injection of NA did not induce MAC assembly onto the ependyma of C6−/− rats (e). However, some ependymal cells presented a slightly condensed nucleus (arrows in b), while the epithelium appeared with some minor disruptions (arrowhead in b) compared to that of control wild-type rats. These changes were minor compared to those observed in wild-type rats treated with NA (c), where the epithelium appeared disorganized (arrowheads in c), and MAC deposits were abundant (arrows in e). Ventricular walls from non-injected C6-/- rats (a and d) did not display any anomaly and were comparable to non-injected WT rats (data not shown). LV lateral ventricle, Ep ependyma, NP nervous parenchyma, H-E hematoxylin and eosin staining