Spinal Cord Hemisection Facilitates Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase Cells to Produce Serotonin in the Subchronic but Not the Chronic Phase

Figure 3

5-HT expression in AADC cells in the intermediate zone in the sacrocaudal spinal cord on the injured and uninjured side in the animal groups injected with 5-HTP and carbidopa. (a) Photomicrograph showing 5-HT-immunoreactive (IR) AADC cells on the injured side in a rat at 5 days after injury. (b) On the uninjured side in a rat at 5 days after injury. Arrows indicate the 5-HT-IR AADC cells. (c) Group data of the incidence of 5-HT-IR AADC cells on the injured side with respect to uninjured side. Dots/squares represent data from different individual cases. Dashed lines connect the data from the same cases. There was significant difference of 5-HT-IR cells between the two sides (). (d–f) Data from 60-day postinjury group with the same format as in 5-day postinjury group.