Fig. 9

Injections of MP mitigated SCI-induced neuroinflammation. Microglia activation and macrophage infiltration ten weeks after SCI were evaluated with immune staining of CD68 (ED1). a-b Overview of transverse spinal cord sections 0.8 cm anterior of the lesion site and at its center. CD68 (green) was combined with Hoechst-33342 nuclear staining (blue), 5x objective, scale bar in b. Note very strong CD68-IR everywhere in the white matter as well as its absence in the scar tissue (b). c-f Examples of activated microglia/macrophages in ascending fiber tracts in the dorsal columns anterior of the lesion site (c), in corticospinal tract posterior of the lesion center (d; marked with dotted ellipse in c and d), in the lesion center (e), and anterior ventrolateral white matter (f). g-j Examples of CD68-IR in dorsal columns of rats without SCI and after SCI treatments; 10x objective, scale bar in g. k Quantification of CD68-IR in the dorsal columns (dc) and ventrolateral white matter (vl) anterior and posterior of the lesion site and corresponding regions without SCI (no CD68-IR). Bars show means and SEM, n = 5 rats/group. As indicated (t-test * p < 0.05) treatment with MP was associated with reduced CD68-IR compared to saline treatment. Injections of bmSC had no significant effect