Prokineticin 2 Upregulation in the Peripheral Nervous System Has a Major Role in Triggering and Maintaining Neuropathic Pain in the Chronic Constriction Injury Model

Figure 5

Representative images of sciatic nerve section in the immediate proximity of the injury, from sham (a), CCI-saline (b), and CCI-PC1 (c) mice at 10 dpi. (a) In the sciatic nerve of sham-operated mice PROK2 immunoreactivity (green) was very faint and colocalized with GFAP (red) in elongated SC. (b) A heavy infiltration of PROK2-positive cells (green) was evident in the nerve from CCI-saline mice. (c) PC1 treatment significantly reduced the PROK2 immunoreactivity in these cells. Scale bar, 30 μm. Immunofluorescence double-staining showing colocalization (yellow, arrowheads) of PROK2 (green) with CD11b (macrophage marker, red) (d), GFAP (Schwann cell marker, red) (e), and S100β (Schwann cell marker, red) (f) in the immediate proximity of the injury in the sciatic nerve of CCI-saline mice. (d^′) CD11b (red), (e^′) GFAP (red), (f^′) S100β (red), and (d^′′, e^′′, f^′′) PROK2 (green) shown in single channels. Scale bar, 10 μm. Cell nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue fluorescence).