Fig. 2

Expression of GPR40 in microglia (a–c), astrocytes (d–f), and neurons (g–i) in the spinal dorsal horn of neuropathic rats. Frozen sections of the spinal lumbar enlargements were obtained approximately 2 weeks after spinal nerve ligation. Immunofluorescence was double stained with GPR40/Iba-1, GPR40/GFAP, and GPR40/NeuN, and photomicrographs were taken from the spinal cord section (a, d, g; 500 μm) and amplified dorsal horn laminae I–V (b, c, e, f, h, i; 50 μm). Arrows indicate double immunostaining of GPR40 with each cellular biomarker. Double immunolabeled surface areas of GPR40/Iba-1 (j), GPR40/GFAP (k), and GPR40/NeuN (l) from the spinal dorsal horn laminae I–V indicated in white lines were quantified using the ImageJ program. Data are presented as means ± SEM (N = 5–6 per group). *P < 0.05 vs. contralateral side; analyzed by unpaired and two-tailed Student’s t test