Fig. 6

Effect of DON administration on CD68 microglial expression. A Representative photomicrographs of IBA1 and CD68 labeling taken from coronal brainstem sections of mice treated with vehicle or DON. Scale bar: 500 µm. B Representative images of double IBA1/CD68 labeling highlighting the phenotype of microglial cells located in the AP, funiculus separans and NTS of vehicle or DON-treated mice. The white boxes indicated regions from panels A which panels B originated. Scale bar: 50 µm. C High magnification photographs of the regions indicated by the box in panel B, respectively, illustrating the change in microglial phenotype in response to DON treatment particularly in the funiculus separans. The white lines symbolize the border between the AP and the NTS. Scale bar: 10 µm. AP area postrema; cc central canal; fs funiculus separans; NTS nucleus tractus solitarius; XII hypoglossal nucleus. D Quantification of CD68 labeling expressed in mean gray level in DVC subregions of control and DON-treated animals (12.5 mg/kg BW; ***p < 0.001, ns non-significantly different).