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Fig. 4 | Journal of Neuroinflammation

Fig. 4

From: Bruton’s tyrosine kinase drives neuroinflammation and anxiogenic behavior in mouse models of stress

Fig. 4

Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome by MCC950 treatment attenuates anxious behavior and neuroinflammation in stressed mice. Physical stress was induced by subjecting mice to restraint and underwater trauma. Control mice were treated with either vehicle or MCC950. Similarly, stressed mice were treated with either vehicle or MCC950. A Open field test: as compared to controls, physically stressed mice dosed with MCC950 exhibited significantly decreased anxiety levels, as illustrated by the increased time spent in the central area of the OFT, in both male and female mice. B Light–dark test: physically stressed mice dosed with MCC950 exhibited significant improvement from hyper-anxious behavior, as explained by the reduced D/L ratio, i.e., increased exploration time in the light chamber of the LDT. C Elevated plus maze test revealed physical stress mice dosed with MCC950 displayed significant rescue from anxiety compared to the vehicle controls, as evidenced by the increased duration of time spent in the open arms of the EPM. D Examination of IL1β in hippocampal homogenates by ELISA revealed physically stressed mice dosed with MCC950 showed diminished IL1β levels compared to the vehicle controls, denoting significant rescue from anxiety. E Caspase 1 activity in the hippocampus: physically stressed mice administered with MCC950 exhibited attenuated Caspase 1 activation relative to their vehicle controls. All values are presented as mean with 95% CI (n = 22/group); ***p < 0.001, ns (not significant); 2X2X2 factorial ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test

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