Fig. 3

Effect of in vivo administration of CHIT-1 in glia. Representative confocal micrographs (merged) of spinal cord sections co-labeled with Iba1 (green) and GFAP (red) in normal control (NC; a), Buffer (b), CHIT-1 (c–f) and positive control (ALS, g) groups. Note the increase in Iba1 labelled microglia in CHIT-1 (mainly in C100) and ALS groups. An increase in GFAP expression was also observed in CHIT-1 (c–f) and ALS (g) groups. Note the change in morphology of the Iba1 labelled microglia from long process bearing ones in control (h) to those bearing short processes in CHIT-1 group (i). Scale bar = 150 μm (for all images). CHIT-1 induces a significant upregulation of Iba1 positive microglial cells at a dose of 100 pg similar to ALS-CSF group unlike buffer and normal controls (*p < 0.05 C100 and ALS vs. NC; ^$p < 0.05 C100 and ALS vs. buffer) (j). Histogram representing enhanced expression of GFAP in ventral horn white matter in CHIT-1 group compared to buffer and normal controls in terms of intensity (**p < 0.01 C50, C100, C200 vs. NC; ***p < 0.001 C500, ALS vs. NC and ^$$p < 0.01 C50, C100, C200 vs. buffer; ^$$$p < 0.001 C500 and ALS vs. buffer) (k) and area (*p < 0.05 C50 vs. NC; **p < 0.01 C100, C200, C500, ALS vs. NC and ^$$p < 0.01 NC vs. C50, C100, C200, C500 and ALS) (l)