Fig. 1

Fluorescently labelled Metallothionein I/II (MT₄₈₈) is taken up by neurons, astrocytes and microglia after needlestick injury. Immunohistochemistry using markers to label the neurons (SMI312), astrocytes (GFAP) and microglia (Iba-1) on frozen cortical sections collected from adult rat 4 days after receiving needlestick injury with either the A₄₈₈ or MT₄₈₈. The MT₄₈₈, but not A₄₈₈, was visible in neurons (a); higher magnification images shown in b and c, similarly, the astrocytes also appeared to take up the MT₄₈₈ but not A₄₈₈ (d); higher magnification images shown in e and f. In contrast, both A₄₈₈ and MT₄₈₈ were taken up by microglia (g); higher magnification images shown in h and i. The microglia that taken up A₄₈₈ appear in a more amoeboid-like morphology when compared to the microglia receiving the MT₄₈₈, which had a more ramified phenotype. (Scale bar in a, d and g = 50 μm; b, c, e, g, h and i = 12 μm)