Fig. 3

Peritoneal infusion with LPS increased microglial activation in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). a A representative schematic diagram and microscopy images of Iba-1 immunohistochemistry staining in the NTS and representative gels (inset) and densitometric analysis of Western blot showing the total protein expression of b Iba-1 and c CD11b in the NTS after peritoneal infusion with saline or LPS for 7 days with additional intracisternal (IC) infusion of saline, PTX or mino. GAPDH was used as the internal control for total protein expression. Neutral red was used as the counterstain. Values are the mean ± SEM of 6 to 8 animals in each group. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001 vs the control (C) group and ^##P < 0.01 vs the LPS group according to post hoc Tukey’s multiple range analysis. AP, area postrema; C, control, infused with saline; cc, central canal; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; Iba-1, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1; L, LPS, lipopolysaccharides; mino, minocycline; PTX, pentoxifylline; sol, solitary tract. Scale bar, 50 μm