Journal: Journal of Inflammation Research
Article Title: Acupuncture Activates PI3K/Akt Pathway to Promote Spinal Microglial M2 Polarization and Alleviate Spastic Hemiplegia Following Ischemic Stroke
doi: 10.2147/JIR.S592917
Figure Lengend Snippet: Acupuncture shifted spinal microglia toward the M2 phenotype, modified spinal inflammation milieu, restored the E/I balancing in the spinal motor circuit and activated the spinal PI3K/Akt pathway in MCAO rats with spastic hemiplegia. Immunofluorescence of microglial polarization state: representative images of CD32 (M1 marker, green) and Iba-1 (microglial marker, red) co-localization by immunofluorescence ( A ); representative images of CD206 (M2 marker, green) and Iba-1 (red) co-localization by immunofluorescence ( B ) with all nuclei of cells stained by DAPI (blue); scale bar, 50 μm; the semi-quantitative fluorescent intensity results of CD32 ( C ) and CD206 ( D ). Immunofluorescence of synaptic boutons in motor circuit: representative images of vGluT1 immunoreactive boutons (marking the proprioceptive terminals, red) on CTB-labeled motor neurons (MNs, green) ( E ); representative images of vGluT1 boutons (red) contacting vGAT immunoreactive boutons (marking GABAergic synapses, green) ( F ); scale bar, 10 μm, 2 μm; fold change of vGluT1 boutons on MNs ( G ); ratio of vGluT1 boutons opposed by vGAT boutons ( H ). Representative Western blot bands ( I ) and quantitative results for CD32 ( J ), CD206 ( K ), vGluT1 ( L ), vGAT ( M ), p-PI3K/PI3K ( N ), and p-Akt/Akt ( O ) protein expressions relative to GAPDH protein. The mRNA levels of CD32 ( P ) and CD206 ( Q ) were detected by RT-qPCR. The concentrations of TNF-α ( R ), IL-6 ( S ), TGF-β ( T ), IL-10 ( U ), Glu ( V ), GABA ( W ) were detected by ELISA. N = 6 per group. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. **P<0.01,***P<0.001 versus M+AP group; ### P<0.001 versus M group.
Article Snippet: The levels of TNF-α (EK0526, Boster Biological), IL-6 (EK0412, Boster Biological), and TGF-β (EK0514, Boster Biological), IL-10 (EK0418, Boster Biological) were determined to assess neuroinflammation.
Techniques: Modification, Immunofluorescence, Marker, Staining, Labeling, Western Blot, Quantitative RT-PCR, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay