Fig. 2

Dynamic alterations of microglial status in PTSD development. a Representative picture of microglia density in different brain areas of Cx3cr1-GFP transgenic mice of the control and foot-shock groups; scale bar = 200 μm. b Microglial density alterations during PTSD development in PFC area (n = 3–4 for each group). c Microglial density alterations during PTSD development in HP area (n = 3–4 for each group). d Microglial density alterations during PTSD development in AMY area (n = 3–4 for each group). e Representative image of microglia morphology and skeletonized inset in different brain areas of Cx3cr1-GFP transgenic mice at different time points after foot-shock exposure, scale bar = 10 μm. f Statistical analysis of microglial soma area from different brain regions at different time points (n = 3–4 mice for each group, 50 cells were analyzed per mouse). g Microglial process end points/cell (n = 3–4 mice for each group, 50 cells were analyzed per mouse). h Microglial process lengths (n = 3–4 mice for each group, 50 cells were analyzed per mouse). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 for indicated cooperation (ANOVA). i Effects of PTSD on the mRNA expression levels of neuroinflammatory genes in PFC, j HP, and k AMY on day 5; *p < 0.05 (Student’s t test). (PFC prefrontal cortex, HP hippocampus, AMY amygdala)